Cloud-Watching and Star-Gazing
by The Ramen Club
Summary: "The most pleasing thing to know is the person who brightens up your sky sees as you a twinkling star in their night."/ A collection of drabbles and one-shots on various pairings (but mostly Shikatema) written in canon and AU-verse.
1. Of Marriage and Babies

**Of Marriage and Babies**

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It was another ordinary day at the Hokage's office, meaning it was another day of Shikamaru filing paperwork and Naruto blabbering about his married life.

"So Hinata made the tastiest vegetable ramen yesterday", he said gleefully, leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk. Shikamaru simply rolled his eyes as he filled out documents.

"And you know what else?" Naruto continued. "She still calls me Naruto kun just like before and it is the cutest thing ever."

Shikamaru didn respond. He didn't have to. This had been going on ever since Naruto took Hinata as his wife. Most of the stories were repetitive and Shikamaru even told him off on more than one occasion, but Naruto never listened. Not that shikamaru was in any way affected by his happily married life. He was very much satisfied with his own love life, or whatever it was called. He had been seeing more of Temari lately, as her visits to Konoha became quite frequent. They weren't very public about their relationship, but every single person he knew was well aware that he was whipped. Temari had even bought a permanent apartment in Konoha, so they could have more privacy than they did in hotel rooms.

"Oh and her hands on my face is the best feeling in the world", Naruto's voice broke Shikamaru out of his reverie. "And her hands on my-" but he was interrupted by a messenger entering the office. He bowed in front of the Hokage's desk and spoke.

"Hokage sama, I have excellent news! The Lady of Konoha is expecting a child." Shikamaru jerked his head up from his paperwork. Meanwhile Naruto stared at the messenger, his mouth hanging open. Then he shot up from his chair sending it flying till it crashed against the wall.

"Thank you my good man!" he exclaimed, shaking the messenger's hand vigorously, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Shikamaru!" he addressed him. "Give everyone the rest of the day off! That's an order!" Shikamaru looked at him incredulously, but eventually obliged. Since he was given the day off as well, he decided to head home and take a nice long nap.

~/~

During Hinata's pregnancy, Naruto didn't come to the office regularly, which gave Shikamaru some peaceful alone time. However, everytime Naruto was at the office, he wouldn't stop talking about how radiant Hinata looked even though she weighed a tonne, or how he was taking such good care of her. There were more than one instances when the Hokage's advisor felt like pulling his own hair out.

~/~

When the baby finally arrived, the whole village celebrated. It was a boy the blessed parents had named Haru. He had Naruto's eyes and Hinata's dark hair. Shikamaru admitted the baby was adorable, and when he first saw him sleeping peacefully in Hinata's arms, his insides warmed up. The miracle of life was something he had witnessed twice; the first time regarding Asuma's baby. Sometimes he wished that this miracle would take place in his own life, but he would then shove the thought in the very back cabinets of his mind. Him and Temari were independent, and he was very happy with the way their relationship was. He wasn't able to enjoy this blissful feeling of becoming an uncle again for long, for Naruto had started telling a multitude of baby stories at the office. Even Sakura, who visited sometimes for important business, would whack him on the head, for she was struggling with her own relationship with Sasuke. It seemed as if Naruto's happiness was plaguing everyone else's love life.

"He made a sound yesterday", gushed Naruto twirling his chair,"and I think he was trying to say 'dada'. Can you believe it Shikamaru?" The veins in Shikamaru's temples visibly throbbed. There was only so much he could bear. As he wrote in his scrawny handwriting, his pen suddenly snapped and so did he. He got up from his seat and walked out of the office without a word. He strolled along the streets with his hands folded behind his back. He quickened his pace when Temari's apartment came into view. He knocked on the door. She was staying in Konoha that week for official business. She answered, a little surprised to see him unexpectedly, but smiled and ushered him to come in. He didn't say anything. He didn't even greet her. He took his shoes off at the door, while she seated herself on the couch and expected him to do the same. He had too many thoughts racing in his head and had absolutely no idea what he was thinking when he blurted: "That's it! I can't take it anymore! We're getting married and having babies!" His face turned crimson almost immediately after he said those words. Temari just stared at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. After finally registering his words, she said with her eyebrow twitching: "Excuse me?!"


	2. Under My Umbrella (NH)

**Under My Umbrella**

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There are days when you feel like nothing is going right and the world is out to get you. For Hinata, it was one of those days. She rummaged through the contents of her locker and sighed.

"Not again", she whispered to herself. The time on her pink Hello Kitty watch read 2.30 p.m. She didn't know what was worse: the fact that it was raining outside and her umbrella had been stolen for the third time that month, or that she was going to be late for her father's birthday celebration. She did the most rational thing she could think of doing at a time like that- she started banging her head against the metal locker.

"Hinata what's wrong?" she heard Tenten rush towards her and stop her in mid bang. She looked worried and slightly disturbed at her friend's antics. Hinata blew a fringe away from her eye.

"I'm doomed", she huffed.

"Why, what happened?" asked Tenten, gently grabbing a hold of Hinata's shoulder.

"My umbrella got stolen again and I don't know how I will get home in this downpour and I'll be late for setting up the house for my dad's birthday and he'll get really mad because he's already very insecure about getting old and-"

"Woah calm down!" exclaimed Tenten. Hinata inhaled deeply and then exhaled, feeling a little at ease. She could always count on Tenten to calm her when her nerves would start raging a war amongst themselves. She looked at her watch- it was now 2.35. She let out a small scream and looked at Tenten expectantly with her translucent eyes.

"I have archery practice", Tenten replied, knowing exactly what Hinata was going to ask of her. "If I didn't, I would have walked you home. Sorry." Her raven-haired friend sighed dejectedly.

"And Neji has honour's society until 5.00", she spoke in a low voice.

"There has to be someone who can go with you", Tenten placed her hands on her hips and looked about the hallway. Just then, as if on cue, Naruto walked past, them swinging his orange umbrella, while talking to Gaara about how he could go home since Iruka sensei's class got cancelled. Tenten shot Hinata an indicative look, which made the latter jump in her own skin and shake her head vigorously.

"I can't ask Naruto!" she piped.

"Oh come on! You want your dad to scold you for being late for his 60th birthday?"

"50th."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Tenten!" Hinata's face was burning, she could feel it.

Naruto stopped at the the main doors, still chatting with Gaara. Hinata gave herself 30 seconds to assess the situation. Maybe he could be in a hurry and would refuse her politely which would bring her back to square 1. Or maybe he could be a total gentleman, as she always imagined him to be, and would happily escort her home. In conclusion, it was a fifty-fifty situation, and Hinata mentally berated herself for not having the courage to go up to him right then and there. Luckily, Tenten gave her a little nudge, and by little meaning a rough shove, making Hinata stumble forward. She gulped. The image of her father's "you-disappoint-me-Hinata" face kept appearing in front of her vision and she had to shake head to make it go away. Thankfully, Naruto did not see that. She took a deep breath and marched forwards, but then she saw that the boy of her dreams was heading out of the door, slipping away from her yet again. And so she ran, she ran as fast as her skinny legs and wobbly knees would allow her. She rushed outside and called out to Naruto, being only able to say "Naru-" as the rest was lost somewhere in her throat. However, it was enough to get his attention. He turned around and saw her standing underneath the small extension of the roof.

"Hey Hinata", he greeted her happily. "Do you need something?" Hinata could feel her knees shaking under the weight of her nervousness. She stared at her feet as her heart was ready to rip out of her chest. 'Speak!' her inner self chided her.

"Um", she began, "I- uh, well I have to get home for my father's birthday, but my umbrella was stolen... again." She added the last part after a pause. Naruto looked at her for a moment.

"Well why didn't you say so?" he grinned and walked towards her, which made her blush a deep red. Naruto stopped beside her, towering over her small physique, and held the umbrella higher. Hinata could feel her heart stuck in her throat.

"Is this fine?" he asked, making sure the umbrella covered both of them. Hinata gave a small nod, still unable to let any form of a sound come out of her mouth. Their close proximity made her breathing slightly constricted and she sensed she would faint any minute. 'Get it together Hinata', her inner self encouraged. They began walking away from the school building and onto the streets. The first few minutes passed in awkward silence as Naruto looked straight ahead and Hinata looked at anything but him.

"So, it's your dad's birthday?" he finally asked. Hinata jumped a little but then calmed herself down. She didn't want Naruto to think of her as a weirdo again. She had happily stepped out of that phase of watching him from a distance like a creepy stalker. But just the mere sight of his messy blond hair and azure eyes sent shivers down her spine, something she could not control.

"Yes", she replied. "It's his 50th birthday." She twiddled her fingers and looked up at him.

"That's cool!" he grinned at her and she darted her eyes here and there, almost as a reflex.

"I was going to bake a cake for him, which is why I wanted to go home early."

"But your umbrella got stolen?" She nodded in affirmation.

"That sucks."

When they crossed the intersection, and were nearing the street where her house was located, Hinata's phone started buzzing in the pocket of her blazer. She fished it out and answered. It was her father, Hiashi, calling from his office, saying something about too much work and that he was going to be home around 6 o'clock. By the time the call ended, they had arrived outside the house. Hinata exhaled a sigh of relief, mentally thanking the Heavens above for giving her more time. More than she needed, in fact,

"My father will be home late", she said to Naruto while opening the small iron front gate and stepping onto the other side.

"Oh that's a relief!" he replied with a smile. "Now you have plenty of time to make the cake." They stood there in silence for a while.

"Would you like to come inside for some tea and biscuits?" Hinata blurted out before she even realised what she had said. Naruto blinked at her.

"Won't you be busy baking?"

"I can manage", she gave a small smile while hoping desperately he would say yes.

"Sure! I'm kind of hungry anyway", was his reply. Hinata's inner self did cartwheels and somersaults as she led Naruto inside the house.


	3. The Kiss of Life (NH)

Based on the recent spoilers ;)

Yeah it's short...

**DISCLAIMER: **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

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**The Kiss of Life**

When it came to Prince Naruto Uzumaki, nobody was safe. Not the fire-breathing dragons, or the bears living in the woods, or even that man who sold paintings of naked women in the kingdom. Because Prince Naruto could look at fear straight in the eyes and say: "You don't scare me!" He was unafraid, fearless, brave and courageous. Not to mention he had great hair and a perfect smile that shone brighter than the diamonds the Queen wore. But when it came to love, he was a coward. When it came to expressing that sort of love, he was an even bigger coward. So when he found out that Lady Hinata of the Hyuga family, had fallen into a spell of eternal slumber and could only be awoken by a true love's kiss, Prince Naruto's first brilliant idea was to hire someone, dress him up like him, and that person would wake her up. Sure he was in love with Lady Hinata, but he could never decide the right time to tell her, nor the right words. No scribe or poet in the kingdom could help him. His love for her was different, as it blossomed slowly over the years to become the precious and delicate flower that it was. How could he possibly put those feelings in words, or even express them? Even the smartest man in the kingdom, Count Shikamaru Nara, did not have a clue. However, he did give him an insightful piece of advice one day: "Just do it before that creep who sells paintings does it." And so it had to be done. Prince Naruto hopped on his white stallion, whom he named Ramen for reasons he could not disclose, and neither did anybody ask, and rode off to Lady Hinata's house, located somewhere at the end of the kingdom. His cape flying in the breeze, determination set on his face, he was not going to fail the mission. Finally, he arrived at the manor, getting down from his horse, and approached the door. Clutching his solid gold crown in one hand, he knocked. A young girl answered, who bore a striking resemblance to Lady Hinata, and so could only be her sister Hanabi. She gave him an impassive stare.

"I have come to save the life of Lady Hinata!" Naruto announced, eyebrows furrowed and voice deep. Young Lady Hanabi did not respond immediately.

"Whatever", she shrugged and let him inside to the corner of the house where Lady Hinata was resting. Prince Naruto entered, overwhelmed with emotions that he could not possibly specify. Seeing lady Hinata so peaceful, so enchanting in her sleep, even when there were flies roaming about her head, made Prince Naruto feel like getting down on his knees and cry. He approached her bed, his footsteps heavy. Lady Hinata did not stir. _Only a true love's kiss can save her, _he recalled in his head. It had to be done. He had to let her know of his feelings someday. At least she wouldn't remember how it went. He neared her face, inching closer and closer. She was beautiful, her pink lips set in a natural pout. And then BOINK! His forehead hit her eye and he drew back in horror and surprise, and slight pain. Lady Hinata shot up, pressing her palm against her left eye, while Naruto was busy rubbing his forehead.

"Your highness!" Lady Hinata let out in astonishment, her hand still covering her eye.

"Lady Hinata! I saved you!"

"You did?"

"Yes I did!" he leaped forward and took her hand in his. "I was about to give you the kiss of life, but then I hit your eye with my forehead instead, but you're finally awake!" It took a while for Lady Hinata to register his words.

"You were... going to... kiss me?"

"Yes!"

Lady Hinata lost consciousness, Prince Naruto shrieked her name like a little girl, and Lady Hanabi suggested slapping her awake this time. Everything was back to being magical in the kingdom of Konoha.


	4. Shikamaru's Storytelling (ST)

**Author's note: **Contains some spoilers I've read about the movie.

**DISCLAIMER:** I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

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**Shikamaru's Storytelling**

Winter had not completely left the village of Konoha, with the snow covering the rooftops, the ground, and some of the minor craters where the meteorites had found a way to crash. Overall, the village was unharmed, thanks to the efforts of the sixth Hokage Kakashi Hatake, who had made sure that every house, every citizen and every pet was guarded by a shinobi. Things were quieter, and perhaps more peaceful than they had ever been. There was no more moon-crashing-towards-the-Earth, no more Akatsuki, and no more Uchihas driven with revenge and the desire to take over the world. It had been a few days since Shikamaru's rescue team had returned to Konoha, Naruto being praised as the hero for saving the world from doom... again. However, this time, he had a quiet raven-haired girl by his side to share his victory as an equal, and to offer him many more years of partnership, willing to stay by his side.

When the world was on the brink of coming to an end, naturally many thoughts raced through Shikamaru's mind, most of them about a fiery Suna kunoichi, to whom he had made a promise of coming back unscathed. He pinky swore on it, and then she smiled at him, the kind that was only reserved for him, that somehow always managed to make his heart do somersaults.

"So what happened?" she said. They were now sitting in a dessert shop in the early hours of the morning, with the snow falling outside in slow motion, like sprinkling icing sugar on brownies. They were drinking hot chocolate, Temari resting her fingers against the mug to keep them warm. He was alive and unhurt, and he was still doubtful about how he managed to get out of a situation like that. But he did, and now Temari was sitting across from him in her black coat slightly dusted with snow, and honestly, he did not want to think about anything other than just being present in that moment.

"Shikamaru?" her gruff voice, which was so different from how girls in Konoha normally sounded, but still had that tenderness about it, shook him out of his reverie.

"Huh?"

"You were going to tell me about the mission?" the corner of her mouth twitched upwards, amused at how lost he was in his thoughts.

"Oh right", Shikamaru took a sip of the hot chocolate, letting it warm every inch of his insides. "Let's see now. Well, I did a lot of crazy things during the mission."

"Really? Like what?" she rested her chin on her palm and listened with earnest.

"I flew one of Sai's birds while wearing goggles", he stated in the most casual way.

"Wait what?" Temari blinked at him. "You flew?"

"It was the fastest mode of transportation available", he took another sip.

"And yet you're never ready to ride my fan", she said, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Well your fan can only seat one person, and at that time I had to take certain risks."

"Okay... then what?"

"Hinata decided to go with Toneri to save the world, even when Naruto confessed to her that he loved her." At this Temari's features set into a look of empathy, something that was rare for anyone to see, including him.

"Poor Naruto."

"Naruto was feeling depressed about Hinata not loving him, but I talked him out of it", Shikamaru said smugly.

"You?" Temari scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "You of all people talked to someone about love?"

"That's right. I told him Hinata really loved him and that he shouldn't give up on her. And then Sakura said a few things too." He looked out the window thoughtfully, gazing at the blanketed trees. "For Naruto, it was hard to watch someone else he deeply cared about walk away from him."

Temari was dumbfounded at seeing this side of her boyfriend which she never knew existed. She was well aware that he was capable of sharing other people's pain, and could sympathise with them, and maybe talk some sense into them on occasions, but to see this much compassion from him was beyond her dreams.

"Oh, and then while Naruto and Hinata had gone to rescue Hanabi, we were stuck in a cave which was about to collapse, so the only thing I could think of was to jump in the pond nearby and find an escape, and so I did."

"You jumped into a pond?"

"Why are you so surprised at everything I'm telling you?"

"Because-" Temari was trying to find the right words. "Because it seems so unlike you. I mean you were flying on ink birds, talking to people about love and diving into ponds", she let out a small laugh. "What had gotten into the ever-lazy Shikamaru Nara?"

Shikamaru didn't answer immediately. For a while he looked at her through heavy-lidded eyes. What had gotten into him? He wondered. Did he really act differently during the mission than he normally would have? If others had noticed, they didn't say anything to him. But he knew somehow, that at that time it wasn't just about not letting his comrades die. It was about a promise he made to not let himself get killed off either. And maybe during the mission, that promise seemed a lot more important than all the ones he had made in his life.

"You", he breathed. Temari's eyes grew wider, her cheeks, which were already flushed from the cold, turned an even brighter shade of pink. They didn't say a word to each other for some time, only looked.

"Shut up, idiot", Temari said, hiding her blush behind her mug while Shikamaru simply smirked.


	5. A Compromise (ST)

**DISCLAIMER: **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

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**A Compromise**

It was late at night when Temari decided that she wanted to settle a few things once and for all, now that she was in Konoha again. And so after washing her face and taking off her travelling cloak, she picked up her fan and headed for the Hokage's tower. Temari was a woman of reason and logic, who would not succumb to ever making rash decisions out of passion. In some ways, she was very much like her boyfriend Shikamaru Nara, whom she had been dating for exactly 3 years 7 months and 18 days. In other ways, however, their personalities could not have been any more different.

They hadn't spoken to each other in a month. Even when he escorted her to the hotel upon her arrival, they didn't say a word. She wondered on the way, as people passed by her, busy in their daily frivolous activities, how it was so easy for them to become strangers over a little argument. Well, back then, it didn't seem that simple of a matter.

[ONE MONTH AGO]

They were lying on the ground in the Nara forest, looking at the sky, tired from a busy day of boring meetings and piles of paperwork. Their hands were tangled, her hair brushing against his face as she rested her head against his shoulders. It was these rare moments of privacy in which they would both completely forget about the world and just be. Temari didn't realise how easy it was to be this serene, until Shikamaru taught her over the years. The leaves in the branches rustled as the wind blew.

"Have you ever wondered what kind of a house you would like to live in?" she asked.

"Not really", he replied lazily. "You?"

"Yeah, maybe some place with a lot of space you know." She had a habit of asking the most random questions at the oddest of times, but he never minded.

"A lot of space would be nice", he mused, putting his arm behind his head.

"But the sad part is all the houses in Suna are not very spacious, and I wish I could have a proper garden there maybe, but all that can be grown there are cacti", she frowned. He gently moved his fingers through her bangs.

"Well, maybe you could come live here instead."

"Yeah right", Temari scoffed.

"What's wrong with that?" Shikamaru's forehead creased and his fingers stopped going through her hair. Temari began to sit up.

"Oh come on, you don't honestly think I would ever leave Suna, do you?"

"Well yeah, I mean, when we get married." He didn't exactly know what point Temari was trying to make because the minute he said this, she looked at him incredulously.

"Shikamaru I can't leave my village! I'm the ambassador of Suna, not to mention the Kazekage's advisor. Wouldn't it be easier if you moved to Suna instead?"

"I've got my duties as well. I'm the chunin exams proctor, as well as an academy instructor and the advisor to the Hokage."

"So you want me to make the sacrifices?" she stood up, hands on her hips. "Well, that is just the kind of thing I would expect from a chauvinistic egghead like you."

"Now wait a minute", Shikamaru stood up as well. "You're saying it's not okay for _you_ to leave everything behind and move to Konoha, but it's okay for _me_ to leave everything behind and move to Suna?"

"Well since you're putting it that way, it's rather obvious", Temari could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, and she forced every atom of her being to not lunge at him and pummel him to the ground for his idiotic ideas.

"Temari, no offense, but Suna is dry and hot and covered in sand and I can't even go a minute without getting drenched. I will never survive there for long and you know that. Besides, I thought you loved Konoha."

"Of course you would try to make me agree with you because you don't want to take the risk." The birds in the trees had stopped chirping, the leaves had stopped rustling. Their voices echoed through the dense forest. Shikamaru took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Look, maybe we should drop the subject and not bring it up anytime soon, okay?" he said in a low voice. Temari squinted at him in disgust.

"Just like you to walk away from a problem without solving it", she spat. "Fine if you don't want to talk about it, then I won't either." And with that, she stomped out of the forest leaving behind a baffled Shikamaru.

[PRESENT DAY]

Temari knocked on the door to the Hokage's office, knowing very well that he would be on the other side, buried under paper work. Nobody responded, so she invited herself in. And very much true to her expectations, there he was, hunched over a couple of open journals. In the bright light of the office, she could observe him better. He looked thinner than he did month ago, and the bags under his eyes seemed more prominent. Yet determination was set on his face, like the engraving on a stone, and for a fleeting second, Temari felt nostalgic and warm.

"Hi", she greeted. His head jerked up from the journals.

"Hey", he drawled but looked wide awake.

"Are you busy?" Temari closed the door behind her.

"No no I was just filling some documents and looking at manuals." Almost as a reflex, he started clearing his desk a little, fiddling with the papers and shifting them to one side. "Shouldn't you be resting? You had a long trip." And there it was. The thing that drove her nuts sometimes. That even after their arguments and the silent treatment, he would always be concerned about her.

"Yeah well I'm used to it now", she shrugged with a small smile. Shikamaru went back to his work. She looked at him expectantly, hoping he would keep the conversation going, but he continued writing.

"I wanted to talk to you" she said, and she could tell that it caught him off guard because his hand immediately froze, hovering over the paper, pen still intact between his fingers. He looked up again, but not in his usual impassive manner.

"Okay", and his eyes followed her movements as she dragged a chair and sat across from him.

"I've been thinking a lot", she began. "This past month... about us..."

"Really?" he said with a look of mild surprise.

"Yeah."

"Look we agreed that we would never talk about it again so why are you bringing it up?"

"Because I want to talk about it. I don't want the issue to go unresolved. It's a part of basic ambassador training." Shikamaru let out a laugh at how she always brought work-related topics into her personal life.

"So what's on your mind?" he asked. Temari straightened in her chair, looking more confident.

"Shikamaru I am not okay with how things are going between us."

"... What are you saying?" his voice grew quieter.

"I'm saying that I've been thinking a lot about it, and you would definitely not survive in Suna. I mean, with the heat and the sand and all. So I guess, what I'm trying to say is, things are just not working out."

Shikamaru didn't respond but his face suddenly looked droopier.

"So I've decided", Temari continued, this time with a smile, "that Kankuro will take my place as Gaara's advisor but I will remain the ambassador... and move to Konoha." At this Shikamaru dropped the pen he was holding.

"What?"

"Hey I'm just as surprised at my own decision as you are! But I don't want us to stay like this forever. I want my own house and my own family and everything. And I want it... with you."

"You're serious?" Shikamaru couldn't hold the goofy grin that was creeping on his face.

"But I will only move here if you propose to me properly", Temari reprimanded him. "Like a man! None of that "hey let's spend the rest of our lives together and live happily ever after" crap."

"Okay then" Shikamaru got up from his seat and walked around the desk to her.

"Wait you're doing it right now?"

"Yes I am", he got down on both his knees and took her hands in his.

"Temari..."

"Of Suna", she added

"Of Suna."

"The ambassador to Konoha"

"The ambassador to Konoha"

"And the Kazekage's sister."

"And the Kazekage's sister, and the cruellest kunoichi, and the troublesome woman, and the love of my life... will you marry me? And start our lives together?" Temari's face was hurting from smiling so much.

"Yes!" she said. He helped her up and locked her in an embrace, kissing her.

"Oh and one more thing", Temari pulled away.

"What's that?"

"Since I'm moving to Konoha, we'll have the wedding in Suna. I mean, it's only fair after all."

"Whatever you want troublesome woman", he chuckled and the two closed the distance between them once again.


	6. The Unwanted Visitor (ST)

**DISCLAIMER:** I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

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**The Suna Visitor**

Shikamaru didn't like it. Not one bit. The way he just happened to be there sitting at their lunch table chatting away about his travels while she laughed and listened to his stories with much more interest than she had ever listened to his own. Some people might think he was jealous but that was definitely not the case. He didn't know the guy. He was as foreign to him as the first time the Sand siblings had stepped into his beloved village- his sun tanned skin, wavy blond hair. Who was this guy? And not only did he have Temari so deeply engaged in his trivial talk but also every other girl in the village. Ino had called Shikamaru to her shop one day to ask more in dept details about the mysterious visitor. Sakura was just as outwardly smitten by him. There was no stopping it. His charm was spreading like wild fire, taking a few naive victims everyday. But to think Temari would even pay attention to a pretty boy like him just because he was from Suna as well, and she apparently 'knew him since they were kids'? It was disgusting.

"And so I grabbed him by the neck and twisted it in one swift motion before that sucker could even think about messing with me", he was telling one of his tales, accompanied by dramatic hand gestures. Shikamaru's tea was getting cold, but through his impassive glare his attention was mostly on Temari and how comfortable she was with this guy, whose name happened to be Taru. A few minutes into their lunch and many girls in the restaurant had joined them at their table, sighing like the bunch of love sick bags of hormones they were. "The key to survival in forests where there are no indicators is to always be on your guard."

"Isn't that the basic rule of being a ninja?" Shikamaru said dismissively.

"Yes of course", Taru replied with a grin (what was up with that?) "But it comes especially handy when you're in a forest ." Shikamaru had noticed Temari shooting him a reprimanding look but he had obviously chosen to ignore it. After lunch, Shikamaru had to escort both Suna nins to the meeting. Temari wanted Taru to gain more experience in political matters, which was her main reason of bringing him along. Sure it was.

When the meeting was over, Temari asked Shikamaru if he wanted to accompany her and Taru for dinner. This, of course, made Shikamaru second-guess their relationship. Since when did he become the third-wheel? He was the boyfriend. But nonetheless he refused, although rather aggressively than his nature would allow, and went home to take a nap.

The next morning, he was surprised to find Temari at his door.

"Let's have breakfast!" she gleamed.

"Where's your beloved Taru?" Shikamaru muttered, though he wished to take back those words the minute he had said them.

"Excuse me?" Temari raised an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing. Just forget it."

"No I would like to know what you just said. You've been acting pretty strange ever since Taru got here." Shikamaru went back inside the house and Temari followed him.

"Well I didn't expect you to get all giggly around him." He went into the kitchen and took out a bowl to have cereal in. "I mean you were so interested in all his stories, which I'm pretty sure are exaggerated, and you love taking him to breakfast and lunch and dinner."

"That's because I'm supposed to be his guide. It's his first time in Konoha and- wait a minute. Are you jealous?" Temari said folding her arms.

"No!" Shikamaru scoffed. "I just don't think it's very healthy for our relationship for you to spend so much time with him."

"Shikamaru?"

"What?"

"He's my cousin."

Shikamaru almost dropped the carton he was pouring milk from into his bowl.

"What?" he repeated.

"He's from my mother's side of the family. A long distant cousin. I brought him to Konoha with me because so he would get an idea of political matters. We're running a little short on people under the Kazekage."

Shikamaru resisted the urge to curl up in a corner and never show his face. He felt humiliated, but he didn't let it show for even a split second.

"You honestly think I would hit on some other guy while dating you?" Temari walked over to him.

"No... I just... we've only started dating so sometimes I get weird thoughts", he mumbled.

"Then don't!" the corner of her mouth twitched upwards.

"Hey you would get jealous too if I was being that nice to some other girl!" Temari heartily chuckled and Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh a little as well.

"You're cute when you're jealous", she smirked, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Troublesome", he muttered.


	7. A Gentleman's Fury (NH)

**DISCLAIMER:** I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

* * *

**A Gentleman's Fury**

The past five months had been the best in Naruto's life. Mostly because he had finally found the missing piece of the puzzle who, just by holding his hand, could make him feel things he had never felt before. The elation, the passion, the thumping of his heart trying to keep pace with it all. It was becoming harder and harder for him to be upset about things.

"So where should we go for our date tonight?" he asked. The two were walking in the park, hand in hand. It was spring time and the petals of the cherry blossoms floated in the breeze, the sprinkling of the water fountain providing the soundtrack of the season.

"Oh Naruto, I forgot to tell you", Hinata abruptly stopped, looking up at him. "I have to attend an event held by Konoha's literary society. I'm afraid I can't miss it." At this Naruto's face dropped.

"You do?" Big eyed like the puppy he was. Hinata tightened the grip on his hand.

"You can come with me", she beamed. "It's really exciting. We talk about books and writers and upcoming stage plays." But Naruto couldn't think of anything that could be more boring than listening to a bunch of snobs talk about books in clipped tones, drinking expensive wine instead of sake like the regular people of the village.

"Well I um..." he racked his brains to come up with an excuse but nothing came. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Hinata was there to keep him company. She was looking at him expectantly with her translucent eyes.

"Okay I'll go", he grinned and Hinata clapped her hands in glee and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'll come to your house and ask Hikaru to pick us up from there."

"Yeah sounds good- wait, who's Hikaru?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Oh he's just one of the patrons of the society and an old family friend", she said waving her hand dismissively. Naruto pretended not to be bothered by it and then proceeded walking, but the name hung in the cold air, around his head. However, what was more important for him was to figure out a way to get out of attending the event without breaking Hinata's heart.

/

In the evening, a few minutes before Hinata was about to arrive at his apartment, Naruto began the necessary preparations for a fake fever. He changed into his pajamas and donned his orange bathrobe, dabbing hot water on his face. He took out a thermometer and placed it near his bed side lamp bulb to get the right temperature. When he heard the door bell ring, he dragged himself in a slouched and worn out manner and answered. Hinata gasped at his appearance- flushed cheeks, messy hair and droopy eyes.

"Naruto, are you alright?" she asked, walking him to the couch.

"No", Naruto spoke in a nasal tone. "I hab a really high feber. Look", he showed her the thermometer. Hinata started arranging some pillows on the couch and told him to lie down.

"I can stay here and take care of you", she said earnestly, holding his hand.

"No, I don't bant you to tuble yourselb. Besides, you bight catch it."

"But then who will look after you?"

"I'll be bine Hinata," he smiled and saw that she seemed a little relieved. He mentally kicked himself. He hated lying to her, but what choice did he have? The door bell rang again and Hinata got up from the couch and answered it. A young man dressed in a fitting black tuxedo and a woman in a purple silk dress strode in with a dignified air. Naruto couldn't care less about the woman, but it was the man who made his blood boil instantly- the way he looked about his apartment with his nose up in the air, his striking green eyes scanning every item.

"Hinata, you look ravishing tonight", he said, making Hinata giggle and Naruto almost fall out of the couch.

"So sorry to ask you to come here, but unfortunately, Naruto has a high fever and a nasal congestion." Naruto plopped his head back on the pillow, putting on a weak face. Hinata walked over to him in her strappy heels, and caressed his hair.

"That's alright," said the woman. "Although he'll be missing a great party, but we understand. We should get going now."

"Okay." Hinata picked up her shawl from the chair next to the couch, and gave Naruto a quick peck on the forehead. "Are you sure you're going to be fine?"

"Yes Hinata!" he gave her the brightest smile he could muster as the guilt ate away at his insides.

"You can call me in case you need anything", she whispered.

"You go have fun."

Hinata said goodbye to Naruto and joined the other two on the way out. Naruto almost flipped and dashed towards the door when he saw the man in the tuxedo rest a hand on his girlfriend's back. He got up from the couch and kicked a pillow, sending it flying across the room.

"I'm going to that party."

/

To attend a literary event as an elite, one must become an elite. Of course, Naruto knew as little about sophistication as he did about books.

"Naruto why did you call me?" Shikamaru walked into the apartment. "I was taking a very nice nap."

"I need your help", said the blond. "Hinata is going to break up with me." It took some time for his ponytailed friend to digest the news.

"Are you out of your mind?" he retorted. "Hinata would never break up with you!"

"That's right!" said a voice from the window which made the other two nearly jump. It belonged to Sai, who was crouched over the window sill.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto barked, but Sai was unfazed.

"I saw Hinata on the way and she told me you were sick."

"Well I'm not", Naruto clenched his fist and paced about the room. "I pretended to be sick so I wouldn't have to go to her book club gathering, but then some fancy dude walked in here and started flirting with her and took her away. You should have seen him! I will never match up to his class!" He sat down on his bed and sighed. "Hinata would definitely dump me after being in his company. And that's why I need to go to that party and show everyone that I too have class!" After a few seconds of complete silence, Shikamaru and Sai burst out laughing, gripping at their stomachs.

"Naruto where do you get these ideas from?" said Shikamaru, wiping away a tear.

"That's why I need your help", Naruto stood up again. "Shikamaru you're the genius. You probably know a lot about books."

"Well yeah but I don't see how you will become sophisticated in such a short span of time."

"Maybe this will help", Sai pulled out a book from his pocket and handed it to Naruto. The title read "Idiot's Guide To Sophistication". "I just bought it from a paperback stall. I was thinking of gifting it you later."

"This is exactly what I need", Naruto beamed. "Thanks Sai, wait... HEY!"

"Well", Shikamaru sighed. "We've got a lot of work to do.

/

They spent an hour going through the book, trying to grasp as many of the basic concepts; the greeting, the manners, the way of walking and talking. Naruto took out a black suit and a white button down shirt from his closet and went in the bathroom to change. As he was getting dressed, Shikamaru recited some trivia to him through the door about literary classics, artists in Konoha and music. Naruto was having trouble remembering it all without mixing it up. He combed his short hair and made his way to the main hall, memorising the points in his head.

/

At the entrance, a man offered to take his coat and Naruto restrained from giving him a fist bump. He fixed his vest, the collar of his shirt, smoothed his hair and walked inside. Hinata and the two patrons, along with some other guests, were huddled next to the pianoforte, talking and laughing. Trying to hold back the urge of punching Hikaru in the face, Naruto strode towards the little group and introduced himself.

"Naruto, what are you doing out of the house?" said a very surprised Hinata.

"Well I was feeling better so I decided not to leave you alone at this party", he said, mock-grinning at Hikaru.

"I'm sorry", interjected the gentleman. "But are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Why of course. It's a lovely evening and this gathering is quite scintillating. I'm going to get myself some caviar. Would you like to join me Hinata?" he extended his arm to hook with hers, but Hinata only darted her eyes here and there rather nervously.

"Actually darling, we were just about to discuss a Shakespeare play", she said.

"Oh I see. Well", Naruto took out a pair of glasses and put them on. "I find great joy in discussing Shakespeare. He was a great player." The rest of the group, except Hinata, tried to stifle their laugh.

"You mean play_wright_", Hikaru corrected. "Tell me, which of Shakespeare's plays do you find intriguing?"

Naruto processed the question in his head, trying to come up with a good enough answer, but the piano music playing in the background was making it difficult for him to think of one.

"Well... it would have to be the one about the woman... and the man." At this the others cackled loudly and Hinata was beginning to look flustered.

"Naruto, can I talk to you in private?" she urged.

"No no it's fine", Hikaru smirked. "He obviously is mistaken about his place in the society."

"What'd ya say?" Naruto stepped towards Hikaru, intimidation set on his face. "Do you even know who I am? I've probably saved your butt, in fact all of your butts, more times than you can count. And I'm going to be Hokage soon." The others laughed again and Hinata looked down at her feet.

"You fool! You can't even belong to an elite society. How can you possibly become Hokage?" Hikaru sneered.

"Alright you know what I've had enough of your stuck up shit! Let's settle this with a thumb war. You and me come on right now!"

"You've got to be kidding."

"I don't kid around buddy!"

"Naruto..." Hinata said quietly but Naruto didn't listen.

"I will not stoop to the likes of you Uzumaki", he spat, but as he was walking away, Naruto grabbed him by the collar, and punched him square in the jaw making Hikaru stumble backwards on his feet.

"Naruto!" Hinata shrieked, but that was it as he saw the look on her face, mixture of disappointment, shame and slight apprehension. He realised that the only one who tore them apart that evening was himself. He ran out of the building, hoping to never return

/

After many hours of quiet contemplation in his room, Naruto marched to the Hyuga manor to apologise to Hinata. Not only did he lie to her about being sick, but he also humiliated her in front of all those people. If she wouldn't take him back, he very well deserved it. He climbed up to the window of her bedroom. The lights were on and she was brushing her hair in front of her dresser, wearing her pink cotton maxi. He lightly tapped on the glass, but it still alarmed her. She opened the window and let him slip inside.

"What are you doing here?" she half whispered. "What if father finds out?"

"I just wanted to talk to you. It couldn't wait till morning", desperation was evident in his voice. Hinata motioned for him to take a seat at the edge of her bed. She sat down beside him.

"I'm really sorry Hinata", he spoke in a low voice, looking at his hands. "I don't know what had gotten into me. I saw you enjoying his company and I just couldn't stand it! I'm not sophisticated at all. But what I did to you was unforgivable. I wouldn't blame if you never want to see me again."

"Never want to see you again?" she almost yelled, which was still quiet talking in everyone else's books. What are you talking about Naruto? Yes I was mad at you for punching Hikaru, but he was being a total jerk!"

"I also lied to you", he was looking at her now. "I pretended to be sick because I didn't want to go, but when I saw him flirt with you, I knew I had to go!" Hinata didn't speak immediately. She looked at him, studying his features, but then took his hand in hers.

"I wish you would have told me that before, but I can never hate you Naruto. Or give my attention to some other guy, no matter how elite or sophisticated he is. You matter the most to me." Naruto couldn't help but blush as red as the shade of lipstick his girlfriend was wearing that evening.

"I'm really sorry Hinata," he whispered.

"I forgive you. But let's make a promise that from now on we will tell each other everything. Whatever it is that we're feeling."

"Okay", he grinned. He took hold of her face and kissed her, ever so softly.

"By the way, I quit the society", Hinata said sheepishly when they broke apart. "Nobody makes fun of the future Hokage!"

"I love you", he said.

"I love you too, Naruto", she smiled.

"Hinata, who are you talking to?" came Hiashi's voice from outside making the young couple jump in their skin.


	8. Lazy Afternoons of Baby-sitting (ST)

**Author's Note:** I guess this will contain more shikatema one-shots from now on because they come more naturally to me (otp stuff). But I will try to squeeze in other canon pairings whenever I'm inspired :)

**DISCLAIMER:** I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

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**Lazy Afternoons of Baby-sitting**

She was the perfect combination of his late sensei and his wife, in terms of looks- thick wavy black hair, and crimson eyes but the shape was the same as Asuma's. It was only a matter before she would enter the academy and he would have to start training her. He watched her rub the tip of the crayon across the page with her tongue sticking out. She was part of the King he had to protect, but what made it easier was that the world was a much safer place, sleep was more inviting and hopefully she wouldn't have to go through war, or any of the pain and torment he had went through. And as he pondered over this, the door bell rang.

**/**

"You forgot to be at the gate today", she frowned at him, with crossed arms and her foot tapping. He rubbed the back of his neck. Okay, so maybe he did forget to greet his girlfriend at the gate.

"I'm babysitting Mirai, so it sort of slipped my mind", he drawled. "Sorry."

"You're treating me to lunch then", she poked his shoulder, but it was more like drilling her finger into the skin kind of poke. He rubbed the abused area and led her inside. Mirai looked up from the colouring books and then paused. Shikamaru wondered if Temari ever had any experience with kids other than her own brothers, but then he saw Mirai get up from her place on the carpet and wobble towards her. She beamed up at her but Temari didn't have any reaction. She just looked at her, studying her, or possibly trying to figure out what to say to her.

"She won't bite you know", said Shikamaru. But soon, the two year old bundle of energy grabbed Temari's hand- a way of welcoming her into her little territory- and showed her to the couch. Shikamaru already had some part of Mirai's personality figured out. Anybody who would seem like his friend would suddenly become her friend. She took in the world with open palms. She would probably grow up to be a tough fighter, but she wouldn't be the one to initiate any form of violence. At her little antics- handing Temari a colouring book, a crayon and then climbing the sofa to sit beside her- he noticed a change in Temari's expression. Her eyes softened and a smile played on her lips, one that he wasn't used to or had never noticed. She hesitantly patted on Mirai's head and then opened a page of the book and started colouring. Pretty soon, the toddler wanted Shikamaru to follow suit.

**/**

Their morning was spent in colouring and watching clouds together as the sun beamed down on them and the grass tickled their skin, and then building houses out of blocks of coloured wood. In the afternoon, when it was time to have lunch, Mirai didn't want to eat the peanut butter sandwiches her mother had packed for her.

"I bet the kid always has to eat the sandwiches," Temari mused looking at her. They were seated at the table, deciding what to do about lunch, as their stomachs grumbled.

"What else is she supposed to eat?" said Shikamaru. "I don't know anything about toddlers' nutritional requirements."

"Here's a fun idea", Temari grinned at him. "Why don't you treat us to that lunch you promised? This morning?"

"I never promised it", he mutters. "Besides, what if Kurenai sensei would mind?"

"Relax Nara. take things a little easy. The kid would love it!"

"You should stop calling her _kid._ Her name is _Mirai_. But I guess we have no choice now do we?"

Temari slyly smiled at him. And so, with Mirai walking between them holding their hands, they went to the nearest restaurant, where the little girl was served the kiddy meal with French fries and chicken nuggets in the shape of animals, and the adults were served chicken ramen. While Mirai played with a mini puzzle that came with the meal, Temari looked fondly at her and Shikamaru couldn't help but blush at seeing this side of her. _Even the toughest woman has a gentler side, _he recalled his father's words for the umpteenth time since the day he met her, and every time they made him realise that he had far better luck than he could have imagined.

**/**

Shikamaru carried a sleeping Mirai home, her cheek pressed against his shoulder as he talked with Temari about important political issues for the upcoming meeting. The sun was beginning to set, the sky morphing into colours of blue, pink, and yellow.

**/**

"Was she any trouble?" Kurenai asked, picking her sleeping daughter up from the couch.

"She was no trouble at all", said Shikamaru with a smile, digging his hands into his pockets.

"We had a lot of fun", Temari grinned. Mirai slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few time to adjust her vision. She sleepily looked at her mother and then at her two babysitters. Her lip curled downwards and quivered, and her eyes began to well up with tears at the prospect of leaving them.

"Chin up little one," Temari half whispered, bending down so she was at eye level with her. "I'll keep visiting."

At this Mirai perked up a little and happily agreed to go back home with her mother.

**/**

"You know, you'll make a pretty good parent one day", she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. They chose to spend the time they had to themselves, curled up on the couch watching movies.

"So will you", he replied in a low voice, feeling content and waiting for the right day when he could ask her to form a family with him.

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**Thanks for reading! I would love to know what you think of my one-shots, so please leave a review :)**


	9. Generations (ST)

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

* * *

**Generations**

It was a simple question really, but Shikamaru couldn't understand why his father was taking such a long time in answering it. The man with the scar running across one side of his face took a sip of his jasmine tea and turned a page of the newspaper. The lady of the house was in the kitchen, the sounds of water boiling and vegetables being chopped on a cutting board filling the silence between the young Nara and the spitting, yet older, image of himself sitting across the table.

"Well dad?" he inquired. Shikaku looked up from the paper and at his son.

"What?" he blinked.

"Why did you marry such a hard ass woman like mum?" he whispered leaning in closer, although a part of him knew his mother had heard him as the chopping had ceased for a fraction of a minute. Shikaku put aside the paper after folding it neatly, and took another sip of tea. He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his goatee a number of times.

"Well Shikamaru", he pondered, staring at a blank spot on the opposite wall. "Your mother has her soft side." Shikamaru twitched an eyebrow. A statement like that was not something he had expected. And with all his genius and an IQ of over 200, being able to solve methodical problems in just a matter of seconds with his sharp analytical skills, he couldn't crack it open. He was unable to dissect his father's words to understand what exactly they meant. Seeing the look of perplexity on his son's face, Shikaku added with a small chuckle: "Don't worry. You'll understand when you're older." And that brought an end to their conversation as Yoshino entered the dining room with a steaming pot of ramen.

**~/~**

He was the mirror image of himself, but those teal eyes of his that were so much like his wife's, begged to differ. And Shikamaru found himself on the receiving end of the question he had asked his father years ago.

"Why did you marry such a scary woman like mum?" he asked while moving a shogi piece across the board. The afternoon light peeked through the half open screen that looked out onto the garden. Perhaps it wasn't as simple a question as he had imagined, since instead of planning his next move, he was thinking hard about it. His son shared both their intellect, in addition to her persistence, so it was evident he wouldn't accept the same answer his father had given him. But after glancing outside- seeing her crouched over the flower bed with a watering can in one hand, the sunlight dancing on her sandy blonde hair and lightly tanned skin, bringing out the softness in her features that always made fireworks set off inside him- perhaps it was the best answer he could give.

"Your mother has her soft side", he whispered in a daze then turned to his son, staring directly into those blue-green orbs filled with curiosity. A smile played on his lips when the young Nara gave him an incredulous look.

"You'll understand when you're older", he said, moving a piece for victory.

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**Thanks for reading! Would appreciate your reviews :)**


	10. Art Lesson (SI)

**A.N: So this is more of a drabble. I think this will become a mixture of drabbles and one-shots. Here's some SaiIno :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

**Art Lesson**

Ino Yamanaka had a knack for many things- fashion, acting, flower arranging, making others look washed out and dull in a group photo. But if there was one thing God had not gifted her with, it was drawing. In fact, she lacked all forms of artistic skills.

"Is that a circle?" her pale-faced boyfriend peered over her shoulder, looking at the squiggly shape drawn in pencil lead.

"Of course it's a circle Sai!" she stated exasperatedly. Sai rubbed his chin in thought and opened his mouth to say something until Ino shot him a cold look, making him back away. Ino resumed drawing another circle inside the bigger one-another squiggly mess. Sai sat across from her at the stable with a cup of coffee.

"You can draw using a compass you know", he advised before taking a sip.

Ino, sitting cross legged in shorts and an oversized shirt, ignored his suggestion, and continued moving the pencil on the paper with a shaky hand. Sai watched her. She was not one to give up so easily, with her face knitted in concentration and her tongue sticking out. She flipped her bangs backwards with her free hand, and his mouth twitched upwards at this gesture of hers. She sighed in frustration, crumpling the paper in a ball and throwing it away, then tearing out another one from a sketch pad.

"You can always take up classes", Sai said, hoping Ino wouldn't start yelling at him.

"But I'm supposed to be good at everything!" she whined. "Even Sakura knows how to draw."

"Nobody's perfect at everything. And besides, you're good in other things."

"Like what?" she scowled. Sai took another sip of his coffee. The mixture of bitter and sweet from the sugar and cream had a surprisingly soothing effect, much like her own personality.

"You have a good taste in fashion", he spoke. "You're smart, you can cook really well, you're the best florist in the village, and your fighting techniques are quite handy."

"Really?' she perked up. "You mean it?" Although she had gotten rid of his habit of saying the opposite of what he really meant, she still wanted to make sure.

"Of course", he smiled. Ino got up from her chair, dragging it across the wooden floor, and skipped over to him. She seated herself in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Can you give me lessons?" she batted her eyelashes. Sai looked about the room uneasily, but then slowly nodded. Ino clapped her hands in glee and gave him a kiss on the cheek, leaving an imprint of her lip gloss, as he wondered what he had gotten himself into.

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**I really appreciate reviews, if you didn't already know :P**


	11. Flirting (ST)

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

**Fliritng**

The first time he saw her off, with a bandage wrapped around his arm and a group of academy students accompanying him, she was with her brothers, dismissing his gratitude for the umpteenth time for saving his comrades. As they turned to leave, she looked back at him and called him a 'crybaby', with a hint of playfulness in her tone and a smirk formed on her lips, which all indicated that it wasn't meant to be an insult. He replied by calling her a troublesome woman, and the way the rays of the sun glinted in her eyes as she laughed, gave him all the more reason to call her so.

**~/~**

The second time he saw her off, she was with her brothers again, but this time it was their turn to express their gratitude. But instead, the red-head one asked about the recovery of his overzealous friend with a solemn look. She remarked on how next time it would be their turn to return the favour, setting off a vicious cycle, to which he simply sighed and she smirked. He didn't know what to call this banter of theirs right before she left for the village. The guards at the gate teased him that it was his way of flirting, but he scoffed it off because clearly, to flirt with someone, you had to have some interest in them. Which he didn't.

**~/~**

The sixth time he saw her off was after he was assigned to be her regular escort every time she came to the village. She was now Ambassador to the Leaf, and he was a mere chunin. On the way to the gates he had asked her whether she had had breakfast. She looked mildly surprised by his concern, and even he wondered why the words came out of his mouth in the first place. It was bad enough he had to wake up before the rest of the village, before even the sun was boldly stepping out to conquer the skies. She dismissed his concern with the idea of finding a tea house on the way. As they stopped right outside the gates, he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, his hands in his pockets, and against all the restraint he had in him, asked her if she would return for the chunin exams- as a way of reassuring of course. She nodded and after giving him her signature grin, left.

** ~/~**

The twelfth time he saw her off, it was after her one month stay that had comprised a lot of witty arguments, breakfast and lunch 'appointments', early-morning and late-night shogi games in the Hokage's tower, and ploughing through piles of paperwork with studiousness from her part and dozing off on his part. In that month, their nicknames for each other had become official, they had been asked by his friends at least four times if they were dating, to which they had laughed before declining the rumours. And in that quiet morning, with the village still in slumber and him being too groggy from sleep but still somehow awake and standing, as the wind blew through her hair, he asked:

"When are you planning to pay a visit again?" and this time without realising, he was smirking.

"When you're in trouble, Crybaby", she teased.

"Troublesome", he muttered, but chuckled nonetheless and dug his hands in his pockets. And as he watched her retreating back, he felt something awry in their little exchange. Glancing over at the two guards who were wiggling their eyebrows at him, confirmed his suspicions- Shikamaru Nara, in the most unconventional way possible, had flirted with a girl.

* * *

**A.N: The reason I always ask for reviews is because they really do help with my writing process. Sometimes I get writer's block and I read them and feel better :) So your reviews are much appreciated. Constructive criticism is also welcome!**


	12. Snowed In (NH)

**A.N.: I really appreciate all your reviews, because they give me the confidence in my writing :)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! **

* * *

**Snowed In**

Naruto stared out the window in horror as the snow accumulated in the corner of the ledges. He wanted to curse so loud, the whole of Konoha could hear him, but he refrained himself because he was still in the presence of a lady.

"This is not cool at all", he whined, kneeling on the couch, his nose plastered against the cold glass. Hinata walked over and kneeled beside him.

"It's okay Naruto", she said soothingly, rubbing his forearm. But Naruto simply shook his head dejectedly.

"We were supposed to go out for a fancy dinner", he pouted like a five-year-old boy who was going to miss a visit to the candy store. Hinata tried to suppress a smile. "It's our first anniversary as a couple." Hinata turned to face him.

"I know", she brought her hands at the sides of his face. "But there's nothing we can do now. We can't go out in a blizzard like that."

"I'm sorry Hinata", he said meekly. Hinata scrunched her face in thought and after a few seconds, snapped her fingers.

"We can have fun here", she said chirpily, gesturing to the rest of the room. Naruto frowned.

"How?"

"We can cook dinner together", she said, getting up from the couch and pulling him along with her. Naruto dug his hands in his pants pockets and became lost in thought as he didn't answer immediately. Then he slammed his fist against his palm.

"Let's do it!" he grinned.

**~/~**

In the kitchen, the smell of spices and chocolate wafted in the air. Naruto chopped the vegetables, though rather haphazardly, while Hinata worked on making a chocolate cake batter. A pot of boiling water bubbled on the stove, letting off steam. Five minutes into their cooking venture, the couple had started humming to the songs on the radio- when it came to a rock song, they started singing loudly using ladles as pretend microphones. When it turned into a smooth paste form without any lumps, Hinata poured the cake batter into a square non-stick tray, and Naruto threw all the diced vegetables into the pot along with the noodles.

**~/~**

While they waited for the meal to cook and the cake to bake, Naruto thought it would be a good idea to play sock slides, something he loved to do when no one was around, but he could now share his absurd activity with his girlfriend. They rearranged the couches, pushing them back against the wall to create as much space as possible. The wooden floor was smooth enough, Naruto had mopped every inch of it early morning before Hinata arrived, and before the sudden blizzard ruined their plans for the day (getting in a relationship made him realise a few things- one of them being the importance of a clean apartment). After sliding across the floor and stumbling and falling and then trying to catch each other and then slipping some more, they crashed on the floor panting, the sweaters making them suddenly feel too hot for the weather.

**~/~**

Over a candlelight dinner, with the pot of ramen and the chocolate cake with butter-cream frosting and sliced strawberries, a pop song playing on the radio providing background music, they exchanged their anniversary gifts. Hinata gave Naruto a teal coloured scarf with his initials stitched in silver thread at the end in cursive. Naruto tried his best to not get too emotional over how much he loved her knitting, and gave Hinata a dainty silver locket shaped like a leaf, wrapped in a metallic red gift box. Hinata gasped upon opening the gift and held it out to Naruto so he could put it on her. She brought the end of her ponytail up, as Naruto tried to hook it with slightly trembling hands.

**~/~**

After a long day of cooking, sliding, singing, and a pillow fight (in which Hinata won. She can be quite competitive when she wants to), the two unwound in front of the electric heater, wrapped in a maroon blanket with two cups of hot chocolate, tiny marshmallows bobbing up and down in the drink.

"Maybe we should spend more of our anniversaries indoors", Naruto said.

"Mhm". Hinata nestled her head against his neck and he planted a kiss on top, and once again they entered that state where they would imagine themselves being the only two left in the world, but it was a blissful feeling.


	13. The Saccharine and the Awkward

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

* * *

**The Saccharine and the Awkward**

"A double date?" Temari cocked an eyebrow at her pony-tailed boyfriend. They were seated in the lobby of the hotel she was staying at, and with all the people bustling about them, you'd think she would keep her voice at a minimum level. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders.

"Naruto's really insistent", he said, not showing the slightest hint of amusement at the situation. "He said it would be fun. Apparently, he always wanted to go on a double date."

"That boy is weird", she remarked.

"Well I couldn't really turn him down. He wants all four of us to bond", Shikamaru leaned back in the loveseat, and looked at the rotating ceiling fan. "I'm going to be his advisor soon so I guess I have to oblige, even if his plans are idiotic."

"And you're dragging me along in this mess with you", Temari crossed her arms and frowned at him. The lazy ninja sighed before shifting to face her.

"Hey you should at least back me up on this. Come on, it's just one dinner date." She looked into those slanted brown eyes of his and as much as she wanted to back out, she couldn't. She scrunched up her face and closed her eyes.

"Fine I'll do it", she announced and when she opened her eyes again, she saw Shikamaru giving her a crooked grin. She mentally kicked him in the shin.

**~/~**

"Hinata, let me put the biggest piece for you", Naruto suggested giddily, picking a slab of raw meat with his chopsticks and placing it on the grill in front of them.

"Why that's very sweet of you Naruto kun, but it's alright", Hinata said in her melodic voice. Saturday evening had finally arrived and the group of four were seated in a booth next to the window that gave a view of the stars dotting the deep blue sky. Naruto, as Temari had noticed, was wearing a grey button down shirt with black pants. His date had donned a lavender summer dress that matched her eyes, her hair tied up in a bun. Her and Shikamaru had come in their regular outfits, like they did for all their dates.

"Excuse me", Temari pointed her chopsticks accusingly at Naruto, "but there are other people here as well who want to eat." Naruto withdrew his hand back and fiddled with his thumbs, evidently embarrassed, but it only lasted a mere two seconds before he started ogling at Hinata.

"You look so pretty tonight, Hinata", he said in a daze. Hinata giggled, a faint pink hue spreading across her pale cheeks.

"Thank you, Naruto kun", she looked down at her lap. Temari rolled her eyes before turning the slab of meat she had placed over the grill, the edges becoming slightly charred. She preferred it that way. The sizzling of the meat with the crackling sound of the glowing embers filled the silence between the two couples. She glanced at Shikamaru. He had stayed quiet since the evening had started and the Suna kunoichi wondered if he was also suppressing the urge to bang his head against the wall.

"Oh look it's ready!" Naruto exclaimed, and Temari jerked her head away from psychoanalysing her date. Naruto picked up the piece of meat and brought it near Hinata's mouth with as much care as handling a glass ornament.

"Oh wait let me blow on it for you." Temari didn't think he was actually serious, but to her bewilderment, he had started blowing his own bodily carbon dioxide on the hot meat then brought it near his girlfriend's face again, who readily opened her mouth to take a bite out of it. And after she did, Naruto took a bite as well from the same area and happily started chewing. Temari was revolted, something bubbling up in the back of her throat, and her now completely charred piece long forgotten on the grill. This whole thing was ridiculous. She berated herself for coming in the first place. Shikamaru stood up and excused himself to go to the restroom, and Temari watched his retreating back with helplessness.

"Temari why aren't you eating?" inquired Hinata. Naruto had his arm draped around her shoulder as they shared another slap of grilled-to-perfection meat. She took in a deep breath, letting her nerves calm, for the bile taste to disappear from her mouth. Giving in to her growling stomach, she ordered another serving of raw meat as the lovebirds had finished their way through the first. Shikamaru returned after what seemed like an eternity to Temari, scooting beside her. The back of their hands grazed against each other and Temari fought the urge to intertwine her fingers with his. Whatever physical contact they had in their relationship, was not for the public's eye and was strictly private.

Hinata and Naruto were now looking at each other lovingly, just immersed in each other's presence, taking in each other's form. And with the bawling child seated right behind her, things were only getting worse for Temari. This whole evening felt like eating 100 grams of sugar and then throwing up in the toilet afterwards. There was no escape. She was momentarily pulled out of her despair when a beeping sound came from beside her. Shikamaru pulled out a pager from his pant pocket and checked it.

"Sorry guys, but I need to report to the Hokage about the preparations for the Chunin exams", he announced, getting up and Temari felt a slight dread creeping up her back at the thought of being left alone with the saccharine couple. But then he turned his attention to her.

"Looks like you'll have to come along since we're both in charge", he stated and Temari pushed back down the urge to tackle him with a hug.

"Aw really?" Naruto whined. "That sucks. But I guess you can't ignore Kakashi. Go ahead", he waved his hand dismissively before turning back to Hinata. It was only after the two Jonin had left the restaurant, did Temari lean against the wall with a hand placed on her chest, and exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Stuffy in there, huh?" Shikamaru teased.

"More like suffocating!" she retorted."So we have to report to the Hokage?"

"Nah", he yawned, stretching his arms. "I asked Choji to send me a random message to make it look believable."

"Now you use your brain power for good", she scowled. "Thanks for dragging me into that pile of mushy gunk."

"I'll make it up to you", he grinned. "Where do you want to go?"

"No barbeque!" she blurted. "I don't think I can have it for at least a year." Shikamaru laughed, shaking his head at her.

"How about Ichiraku then?" Temari nodded, perking up now. As they walked along the streets of Konoha bathed in the glow of the street lights, Temari intertwined her fingers with his, him only locking them. Sometimes, occasionally, on a not-so-frequent basis, it was okay to let the world know you were smitten.


	14. Lilacs (NH)

**A/N: You guys make me really happy with all your reviews! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

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**Lilacs**

Naruto had never seen the interior of the Yamanaka Florists before, but now, with him standing in the middle of the shop surrounded by glass shelves, display coolers, celebratory balloons, a shelf of greeting cards and of course, flowers, he was more anxious than in awe.

"Ino, I have no idea which ones to get", he stated while still gaping at the large collection of flowers on display, of which half he had never even seen before. A tall young woman standing behind the counter in a pink apron, huffed in annoyance, flitting her platinum blonde bangs away from her face.

"Naruto you are such an idiot I swear", she scorned. "Of course you don't know anything about flowers. Which is why flower shops exist", she flailed her arms, gesturing to the shop. "For stupid people like you."

Naruto frowned at her but brought his attention back to the display cooler that contained a variety of beautifully arranged bouquets with differing prices. He checked his wallet and realised that he could only afford the small ones, with very few flower stems bundled together. That definitely won't give a very good impression.

"You don't have to worry about the price", Ino's voice came from behind that made Naruto almost jump in his own skin, before regaining his composure. His nerves were definitely on edge. That's what being invited to the Hyuga manor for dinner could do to you. "I'll give you a discount. Just tell me what kind of bouquet you want to give to Hinata."

"The best one there is!" Naruto exclaimed and Ino let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head at him.

"That's not how it works. You have to give me at least some idea of what you want it to look like. Some theme perhaps?"

"I really don't know." Naruto looked about the room again. There were peonies, tulips and roses in a multitude of colours, lilacs, lavenders, daisies, sunflowers, periwinkles, every flower that possibly thrived in the ever-changing weather of Konoha. What theme did he want? All he knew was that he wanted to give her something that would put a smile on her face, that could make her look at him with loving eyes and his heart would burst into pink confetti. A reassurance that the evening would go smoothly.

"Maybe something that would match her eyes", he whispered almost to himself, a ghost of a smile forming on his lips. Ino snapped her fingers.

"That's a good start! I guess we can work further from there." She scanned the room with her hands on her hips and her face contorted in focus. Naruto assumed it was her brainstorming process as she started chewing on her lower lip. She strutted to the back of the shop, her heels clicking against the white marble floor. He slumped down on a purple cushioned seat near the card rack and kicked his head back, tracing invisible circles in the velvety fabric with his finger. It wasn't impressing Hinata he was worried about, but her father- Hiashi Hyuga, head of the clan. Though he wasn't entirely against the idea of his daughter dating Naruto, he still hadn't completely warmed up to the young ninja. There were still many kinks in their bond that needed to be straightened. Naruto could feel his stomach folding inwards. Suddenly, everything seemed to be happening so fast. Soon, he would be the one to get down on one knee and propose to his girlfriend, then they would get married and maybe have children. But that was still the future. It was still uncertain. Right now, all Naruto wanted to do was pen his name down in Hiashi's good book in permanent ink. All he wanted was to be with Hinata.

He heard the clicking of heels growing louder and turned his head to see Ino come out of the backroom with a jubilant smile plastered on her lips. Naruto stood up and shuffled towards the counter where Ino had already started working on arranging the bouquet- a combination of white peonies, lilac stems and white sweet peas. Ino bundled the flowers together neatly and secured it with a piece of string. She wrapped transparent paper around it and then tied the whole thing together with silver ribbon.

"Tada!" she exclaimed, holding the bouquet out for Naruto to admire. And admire he did. Everything about it practically screamed Hinata to him. His favourite part were the lilacs.

"Just make sure you mention to her what you told me", said Ino, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"What's that?"

"That it reminds you of her eyes damn it!" She let out another exasperated sigh.

"Oh. Right", he said abashedly. He fished out a few scrunched up notes from his wallet and handed them to Ino.

"Good luck at the dinner lover boy!" she shouted as he was leaving the shop, with the bouquet in hand and a genuine smile on his face.


	15. Butter Popcorn and Sinking Ships (ST)

**A/N: I know what you're thinking. Sometimes I update consecutively for days and sometimes I just disappear. Or maybe you're not thinking that and I'm just blabbering. But basically my update routine is to either do it the same day I write something or the next day or a week later. So yeah, it's totally random. Enjoy some Shikatema AU! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! (I'm getting tired of this)**

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**Butter Popcorn and Sinking Ships**

It was a beautiful day outside. The autumn sky was a calming blue and the wind was neither too warm to cause perspiration nor too cold to freeze fingers. Rays of sunlight interspersed through the tree branches whose leaves were coloured shades of red, yellow and brown. Shikamaru had thought it to be the perfect day for a stroll in the park with leaves crunching beneath his boots, or for cloud-watching while sitting on the park bench. Instead, he found himself reading movie titles off a board with their respective timings. None of them seemed to interest him. In fact, he was not even a movie buff to begin with. He turned to the person who had dragged him to the movie theatre- busy slurping soda through a straw.

"What do you want to watch?" he inquired. But Temari only responded with a shrug of the shoulders before resuming with making more slurping noises.

"They have The Wind Rises", he turned to the board again.

"The Wind Rises sounds good", she spoke, finishing the drink and then tossing the empty cup in a nearby trashcan. Shikamaru walked over to the ticket booth with the blonde female in tow who had her eyes set on the snack bar for the third time since they had arrived. She was probably intending on emptying his wallet before they could even make it to their seats.

"Two tickets for The Wind Rises", Shikamaru spoke through the window.

"Sorry they're sold out", said the young woman behind the glass rather impassively, too absorbed in filing her nails to a perfect shape to even shoot a glance their way. He sighed and turned to Temari again.

"What now?"

"We could watch something else like-" she surveyed all the movie posters with the NOW SHOWING sign- "Titanic in 3D." Shikamaru blinked at her in disbelief.

"Titanic?"

"Yeah I've never watched it before."

"You've never watched Titanic?" he stressed, with a smirk playing on his lips. Temari glanced at the poster of a man and a woman in an embrace.

"I'm surprised you have", she said cockily. Shikamaru grunted before turning back to the booth to buy the tickets, while Temari bought a large bucket of butter popcorn and a box of chocolate covered raisins, stuffing it in her backpack. After showing the tickets, they walked inside the dimly lit cinema to take their seats before the start of the next show.

**~/~**

Shikamaru wished he had stayed home. He wished he had never agreed to go on a date to the movies, because at that moment, all he wanted was the existence of an eject button under his seat that would spring him out of the building. Sure he had seen the movie once, but that was when it had first came out in Konoha when he was thirteen and Ino had practically begged him and Choji to watch it with her. While she swooned over a young Leonardo di Caprio, the other two friends had kept themselves busy playing an intense game of rock-paper-scissors. Before they knew it, Ino had finished bawling and the credits were rolling.

Now, there was no way out. He jiggled his leg that kept falling asleep, he shifted in his seat countless of times, he rested his head on one palm then on the other, all the while trying to keep his eyes open. He grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bucket Temari was holding, and started munching on them. The fourth time he tried to get more popcorn ,she slapped his hand away and he didn't bother again. He didn't understand how she of all people could be so invested in the movie. The romance was farfetched and the plot didn't seem intelligent enough to him, even if it was based on real life events. Where was the science? The machines, the lasers, the characters in jumpsuits? Her face was completely blank, unlike Ino's. Devoid of emotions that one could go through at the hands of actors on screen. By the time the heated scenes had started, Shikamaru found himself being lulled to sleep by nothing but his own boredom.

**~/~**

He didn't know how long it had been since he had closed his eyes, but he awoke to the sounds of sniffling from beside him. He glanced over at his date without moving his head, and saw her quietly sobbing into a tissue as, in the movie, Jack slowly drifted out of consciousness in the freezing sea. He didn't say anything, didn't even so much as move a muscle and just watched her be this vulnerable, for which she would probably give him hell if she found out he knew. A part of him wanted to laugh at the sight. Another part of him wanted to put an arm around her and attempt to console her. In the end he obliged to the part that wanted to pretend to be asleep till the movie ended.

**~/~**

When the credits rolled and the lights switched on, Shikamaru looked at Temari while rubbing his eyes, who was trying to hide her puffy eyes and nose by keeping her head low, grabbing her jacket, backpack and the unfinished bucket of popcorn.

"Were you crying?" he blurted against all his self restraint. She froze, seeming shocked, before regaining her composure.

"So?" she snapped.

"Nothing at all", he held up his hands defensively, biting back a grin.

As they got up to leave, he tugged at her sleeve.

"So does this mean I can start calling _you_ 'crybaby'?" he smirked. Temari didn't respond, didn't even twitch an eyebrow. Instead, she chose to cover his head with the bucket of whatever little popcorn was left.


	16. Somewhere Only We Know (SS)

**A/N: Here, have some Sasusaku AU! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: No I do not own Naruto!**

* * *

** Somewhere only we know**

"I am so excited about this trip", Sakura exclaimed while flipping through the tour book. "It's been ten years since I've visited Tokyo. Where do you think we should go first?" she turned to the tall Uchiha, who was wearing shorts for the first time, standing beside her. But Sasuke was much too occupied with keeping a look out for the train, to have listened to her.

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?" He looked her way, lowering his gaze to meet hers. Even though she was wearing heels, she only reached till his shoulder. In a way, he found it adorable but he wasn't one to admit such things. Sakura puffed out her cheeks and placed her hands on her hips.

"You weren't listening", she frowned.

"Sorry", replied Sasuke. "I just don't want to miss the train."

"There are still 15 minutes till it's scheduled arrival", she pointed at the board behind him with the timings listed. There were many things Sasuke would never admit, apart from their obvious height difference. For one thing, he was nervous, the feeling of his stomach folding inwards and his knees trembling only growing stronger by the minute. Normally, the two of them would be accompanied by Naruto for such things like road trips, out-of-city vacations, forest walks and mountain hiking. But now, it was just the two of them, with their hyperactive friend spending most of his free time with his fiancé, and Sasuke had let Sakura know how he really felt after all those years of her pining after him, so there was no excuse not to go with just her. And that made him nervous. Going out of the city with just his girlfriend for the first time made him feel terribly clammy all of a sudden. It was probably the reason why he had been tapping his foot the whole time, as they stood on the platform behind the yellow line, with their trolley bags and backpacks. Perhaps he was making things seem bigger than they actually were. Sakura didn't seem nervous at all, or maybe she was doing an incredible job at hiding it. He could learn a thing or two from her.

"So what were you saying?" he said. Sakura perked up again and showed him pictures of places from the tour book.

"We could check out Tokyo Tower", she pointed to a photo of a rust and white coloured tower with a crisscross design, stretching towards the pink and deep blue horizon of the city. He wasn't afraid of heights so he mentally ticked it off as a good stop.

"Or we could go to the Shibuya crossing", a picture of an intersection packed with people, mostly girls fashionably dressed, with bright lights in the background was at the top left corner of the page and Sasuke couldn't comprehend the aesthetic appeal of the place.

"Or how about the Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens?" and a picture of numerous trees in shades of pink, green, red and orange forming a canopy over clear ponds was before them. And as Sakura flipped through more pages of the tour book, with pictures of intricately designed buildings with traditional Japanese architecture, scenic locations and brightly lit restaurants, Sasuke found himself being pulled into the life of Tokyo, wanting to immerse himself in the rich culture that Konoha couldn't even match up to. He wanted to witness it all, the street food, the uncanny fashions at Harajuku street, even the obnoxiously pink Hello Kitty restaurant, because he was going with Sakura. For a whole week, he was going to be with someone who always made him see the brighter side of things. Just the two of them. Somehow, his knees had stopped trembling and the inner danger clock inside him had stopped ticking , as a sense of calm washed over him. He heard the whirring of the train grow louder as it neared the platform, and he quickly grabbed both their trolley bags, Sakura stashing the tour book inside her backpack. When the door slid open, and people rambled out, they shuffled inside manoeuvring through the crowd to find empty seats. Because it was more packed than it usually was, they had no choice but to stand till they reached the next stop. Sakura struggled with reaching the handle strap above her, even when she stood on her toes. Sasuke quietly chuckled to himself and grabbed the handle, so she could grab on to his arm instead. And when she did, he felt the heat rising to his cheeks. Maybe, this trip wouldn't be so bad after all.


	17. Getting Ready (ST)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto!**

* * *

** Getting Ready**

Shikamaru looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed. His ponytail was upright as it always was, his black suit crisp and pressed and fitted perfectly, even though it was new and he hadn't bothered trying it out at the trial room when his mother had insisted, his loafers were polished, but the sight of his deformed tie made him groan. He had not dressed up for a formal occasion since he was 13 and it was for a long-distant cousin's going-away party. A room full of Nara men in dapper suits and an adolescent Shikamaru in a blue one- his mother had fixed his tie that day. And now at 20, was he going to ask for her help again? Of course not! To think that the young Jonin, soon-to-be Hokage's advisor, didn't even know how to properly dress himself for an occasion was beyond humiliating. He pulled at the offensive thing this way and that, but he simply could not figure out a way for it to magically look presentable just in time for the wedding, even with his IQ level.

"Looks like you could use some help", he heard her voice travel across the room that immediately made him feel a little less frustrated with himself. He let go of the tie, letting it fall limp around his collar, and turned to face her, rubbing the back of his neck while looking at the wooden floor. Temari walked towards him in strappy black heels, and with each step she took, he found it harder to focus on her face impassively, his breathing becoming more unsettling. She tilted her head to the side.

"What have you done to the poor thing?" she grabbed at the now crinkled silk. Shikamaru clicked his tongue and looked away in a mixture of defiance and embarrassment. When he didn't respond, Temari shook her head at him and took the tie, walking over to his bed. She sat down at the edge and began smoothing it out against her skirt by pressing her palm along the length of it.

"This will take a while", she said.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"Your mum let me in. And I can't believe you don't know how to wear a tie."

"I hate formal dressing", he stated bitterly, looking at his reflection and then back at her. He took in her form with the help of the yellow lights in his room. She looked beautiful, but in the simplest way one could be called beautiful. Her hair was tied up in two pigtails, and she wore a white blouse that made her lightly tanned skin seem all the more alluring. Suddenly, his buttoned collar felt too tight.

"There", she exclaimed, standing up with the tie looking how it originally looked. She threw it around his neck, making sure it tucked beneath his collar, and started on the knot, bring it back then forward then under and then pulled. And during this time, Shikamaru tried so hard to look at anything but her face, to focus on anything but the red lipstick, her teal eyes glancing up at him now and again, the blonde bangs framing her heart shaped face and her lip curving into a smirk when he realised he had been staring for far too long and she had noticed.

He quickly averted his gaze to the window. The sky was a midnight blue and he could made out the outline of a crescent moon hiding behind the clouds.

"All done!" she grinned at him, pressing down the tie against his chest to settle it. He could forget about the wedding, he could forget about showing up in a suit that made him itch in certain places and just grab her hand and take her to a place away from the bustle of everyday life. Where it would just be him and her and the darkness of the sky, and the light of the moon, and the dewy grass, and the cold air, and his pent up feelings and all the poetry engraved in his brain, even though he wasn't a poet. He couldn't even write a proper letter to her. But tonight, he really did want to let it all out. All the passion and madness that had consumed him for over a year after knowing how warm her hands were and how melodic her voice could be when she would say his name when they were alone.

"Shikamaru?" but a sterner version of that voice tore him out of his thoughts and as much as he wanted to escape into the uncertainty of the night with her, he couldn't. Naruto was his friend after all, and he had given him his word, and so had she. Besides, her brother would become suspicious if she didn't show up with a date and a bouquet like she had promised. But maybe, just maybe, he could let her know at least an atom's worth of what was going through his head at that moment.

"You look... beautiful", he whispered, and even though they were in a relationship of dates and handholding and sweet embraces, she would still be mildly surprised and in awe every time he complimented her. It was just so uncharacteristic of him, it somehow always caught her off guard. He noticed a faint hue of pink dusting across her cheeks after taking in the word he had uttered.

"You know", she started fiddling with the pointed end of his tie, "maybe we could go some place after the wedding."

"Sound good to me", he replied with a genuine smile of content. It sounded very good indeed.


	18. Cereal (ST)

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

* * *

**Cereal**

The morning started off like any other: an unwelcomed greeting from the sun through the bedroom window with the curtains pulled back. Shikamaru flinched under the glaring light before rubbing his eyes and frowning at the ceiling, a low guttural groan escaping his mouth. He checked the alarm clock- it was 7:32. He had to make himself presentable and arrive at the Hokage's office on time for the meeting. He shifted his weight, pulling the tangled blanket off of him, careful not to wake up the sleeping figure beside him, and got up and dragged his feet to the bathroom in a half stupor. After a splash of cold water on his face, brushed teeth, and hair pulled up in the usual ponytail, he got dressed and made his way to the kitchen.

He cracked an egg over the frying pan- the sleep still not completely leaving his system- the sizzling and crackling of hot oil making contact with the yolk being the only sounds that echoed through the house. The former sleeping person now stood in the doorway of the kitchen, as he was sitting down with the morning paper and his breakfast- eyes closed, blonde bangs sticking to the side of her face in consequence of the Konoha heat, slightly swaying on the balls of her feet, not really moving. She hadn't slept well, the swollen belly protruding underneath her night shirt being an indication of that. It had been kicking periodically through the night, leading her to toss and turn, punch her pillow, wake him up, make him get her a glass of water, slam her fist into the mattress, then ask for pickles because she suddenly felt hungry. He had woken up a few times, but she had it much worse.

"Morning", she mumbled, eyes still closed. Shikamaru gave a small smile and took a sip of his coffee. Barefoot, she made her way to the cupboards, scanning one after another, fumbling her hands here and there to get a feel of things. She took out a bowl and a spoon- the rattling and clanking of the cutlery filling the silence- a box of fish crackers, and a carton of orange juice from the fridge. He watched her silently, the coffee forgotten, wondering if she was going to realise anytime soon that what she was about to eat was not, in fact, cereal. A part of him wanted to stop her- the concerned husband side trying his best not to let her poison herself in her sleep deprived state. And then there was the mischievous part of him, the one that would find it all rather amusing, like a new discovery into the habits of his foreign wife. A playful smile played on his lips that she might not have seen through half-opened eyes. She sat down across from him, pouring orange juice into the bowl, splashing it a little on the white tablecloth, and then came the fish crackers, shaking the box till some of them jiggled out. His feeling of amusement was slowly morphing into that of mild horror and disgust. Maybe he should stop her before she would get herself sick and have another episode of puking into the toilet, something that was becoming more frequent as the days passed, even when she ate normal food.

She spooned some of it into her mouth and began chewing. Shikamaru simply stared. Before he could react, she had finished the whole bowl down to the very last morsel. He blinked.

"I'm going to take a shower", she mumbled again, leaving Shikamaru stunned.

He was always aware of his struggle in understanding women, but a pregnant wife was on a whole different level.


	19. Blows (ST)

**A.N: Dialogue taken from Shikamaru Hiden**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or Shikamaru Hiden**

* * *

**Blows**

His hands were dug inside his pant pockets as she watched him walk down the corridor, away from the meeting room- slouched posture, slow pace, back facing her. She didn't expect from herself to exhale a sigh of relief. Perhaps, he hadn't changed completely, but there was still something about him, about his mere presence in the room, his silence feeling heavy.

"Oi!" she called out to him, her voice echoing through the hallway bouncing back against the walls. She walked forward, and maybe she was seeing things but she saw him flinch when her voice hit him, but not stop. He kept moving, feet shuffling at a faster pace. Temari was growing anxious now.

"Hold it, Shikamaru!" she shouted, hands on her hips. He stopped in mid-step and looked at her from over his shoulder. That same lazy look in his eyes was now mixed with a little bit of- what was it again- stress? No, it seemed much greater than that, but she couldn't comprehend it.

"What is it?" he drawled without really turning to face her completely, his tone edgy and aggravated. Temari narrowed her eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. She could feel it. The silence weighing down on them again. _When did it become like this?_

"I don't know what you mean", he replied and turned to leave but she extended her hand and spun him around by the shoulder, forcing him to face her. He didn't react physically, his expression was merely cold. The way he looked at her through those hooded eyes made her recoil inwardly.

"You've been acting strange lately", she said, bringing her hand down to her side again, her gaze affixed at the leader of the Shinobi Union. "Like your cold attitude at the meeting. You've been making decisions without saying a word or giving an explanation and it's made everyone nervous. The atmosphere was so strained." The afternoon sunlight flooded the wooden floor through the window. Shikamaru was looking down at his feet.

"Oh, did that happen?" he said lowly and Temari felt like someone had thrown a pebble aimed at her back. This wasn't the keen strategist she had been working with all this time. There was something definitely off about him. Which was strange because she knew well enough that she was looking at Shikamaru, and talking to Shikamaru, but...

"You didn't even notice that...?" her eyes widened slightly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." he shrugged indifferently. Another pebble shot at her.

"It's something you won't even tell me, is that it?" He didn't speak, and the weight was growing heavier, sinking her down. They were partners in this union, even before this. They were known for working well together, despite all their little arguments, because of the success of the Chunin Exams. For two years, they had established the most solid foundation of trust there could have been. Sometimes even, it seemed a lot more than just mutual trust that they had, but she never wanted to dwell on those thoughts, the ones in the very deep crevices of her mind.

"Something must be happening in Konoha, right?" she urged, like trying to get a cat to come back inside the house, her voice low, soft, concerned. But his lack of a response was beginning to make her tick and she resolved to a different approach, one she was more comfortable with.

"You can't depend on me for anything at all?" she barked, but as much as she didn't want it, her voice slightly quivered, body feeling stiff.

"No", he snapped, looking up at her, infuriated. She felt a wave of pebbles hurl at her this time. The muscles in his face loosened, as if he was beginning to regret that single word immediately. But she had closed her eyes.

"So it's like that..." Temari whispered and in the next second, sent him flying across the hallway with a blow to his right cheek. No warning, no time for him to react. Her hand was still clenched into a fist as she stomped to where he had landed, sprawled on the floor then shifting to lean against the wall. The blood still pulsated beneath her skin and it didn't surprise her to see a red imprint on his face it had left. Hot breath escaped her mouth as she huffed, her face feeling flushed.

"I never could have believed that I'd misjudged you all this time!" she shouted, hoping her words would have the same forrce as the punch, as the pebbles that bombarded her. He stared at her in mild horror, hand resting against his cheek, and quickly scrambled to his feet.

"I-I'm sorry", he blurted, almost as a reflex. She gave him one last indignant look before walking past him, shoulders brushing against each other, in large, quick steps. He didn't stop her, didn't call out her name. A part of her wished he had, but what was she to expect now? It was only when she made her way out of the building, the humid summer air greeting her, did she realise her fists were still clenched. Something stung at the corners of her eyes and she rubbed a palm against one to find a wet trail left on it. She had forgotten that feeling. She had forgotten she was capable of crying. _When had it become like this?_


	20. This time, for sure (ST)

**A.N: Dialogue taken from Shikamaru Hiden.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Shikamaru Hiden.**

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**This time, for sure**

They walked along the streets in silence for the longest time. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the mission settling into their bones, but for Shikamaru, it was more a matter of finding the right words, as they spun around inside his head in addition to many other thoughts. He watched as she walked in front of him, her shadow trailing behind her, ponytails bouncing, each step dignified and with purpose, even after fighting an enemy. He always did admire that about her. Even though he was the genius, it seemed as if she was the one who was always one step ahead of him, figuratively speaking. The second time she saved his life. Perhaps the universe really was trying to tell him something, of why it always came down to her. Why it was always her who saw his vulnerable side. Why it was always her he dreamed about in not just a genjutsu, but even when his mind was in some state of tranquillity.

"Hey", he called out. She stopped in her track and turned to face him, tilting her head to the side with a confused look. He hesitated. He was a coward after all. Maybe he should just forget all of it ever happened, and then she'll go back to her hotel for the night and he'll go back to his house and everything will return to the way it had always been. Back to square one. And then stay there for good measure.

_Thump, thump, thump._

But he couldn't ignore that feeling any longer. He couldn't pack it in a cardboard box and stow it away somewhere for it to be forgotten and collect dust.

"I...uh...", he scratched the back of his head, looking away from her. "Thanks. For this time." She blinked at him and then sneered, which made his knees knock against each other, blood rushing to his cheeks, hands feeling clammy. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

"This time, would you like to get something to eat together?" he said, but immediately hoped she hadn't heard him, even if she was looking at him and was only a small distance away from where he was standing. She had definitely heard him.

"What are you inviting me on a date?" she folded her arms across her chest. She wasn't the least bit embarrassed to put it forth, not even fidgety, not even hesitant, everything he was going through. She cocked an eyebrow, a smile twitching at the corner of her thin lips. It was almost alluring, her reactions always being different from the expected, so unpredictable. He could never tell with her, and maybe that was why the question had blurted out of him. And as much as a part of him regretted it, another part of him was relieved that she had understood what he was really implying without him having to elaborate, and then another part of him hoped she wouldn't turn him down.

"I guess you could say that", he shrugged- an ongoing battle inside his head of why he always acted differently from what he thought, especially around her.

"I see.. a date", she mused, placing a hand on her chin. And the longer she took to reply, the louder the thumping in his chest grew.

"You don't want to?" he asked, and mentally frowned at the way his tone came off as almost.. disappointed. _Why did I invite this woman to eat with me _? But there was no going back now. Temari placed her hands on her hips.

"How troublesome", she said in a mock imitation of his own idiosyncrasy, complete with the slightly husky voice, before grinning at him. That same grin that started the small flame in him all those years back, that made him re-evaluate all his former life plans. And right now, as the sun was setting and the horizon was turning a darker shade of blue with streaks of blue, her smile gleaming even more, he was willing to do anything to protect it, to see her wear it more often.


	21. A Winter In Konoha

**A.N: Enjoy some multiple-pairing fluff! ^.^ Your reviews will always be welcomed.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

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**A Winter in Konoha**

**-Snow-**

Temari pulled her coat tighter around her chest as she trudged along the white carpeted ground in her thick boots. She groaned, the cold settling into her bones, snow dusting her shoulders like icing sugar- seemingly pleasant but she detested it. Snowflakes landed on her nose, her hair, her sleeves. She watched his back leading the way, his shoulders slouched but didn't seem at all bothered by the weather.

"Stop walking so fast", she snapped, her breath turning to an icy mist in front of her. Shikamaru looked over at her from his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently. _Imbecile._

"I hate this snow", she muttered through chattering teeth and dug her hands underneath her armpits to keep warm. _Why had she forgotten to wear gloves?_

"Oh you don't have snow in Suna, do you?" he inquired with a lopsided grin.

"I belong under the sun! I need the sun!" she started walking again, right past him so she wouldn't have to see that ridiculous smirk of his. The one she had a love-hate relationship with.

"Don't worry", he caught up to her. "The cafe is just a little distance away. You should get used to the snow you know. It's harmless."

"I know that! But it's annoying." She brought out her hands and rubbed them together, blowing hot breath between them. She hated being out of her element, being in a situation she wasn't all too familiar with. It made her feel almost vulnerable. _Damn the snow!_

"Here", he brought out a pair of gloves from his coat pocket and offered them to her. "I don't wear them since I'm used to it. Just keep them in my pocket."

Temari blinked at the black woollen pair, how warm they looked, how inviting. Without any further thought, she took them from him and slid her numb fingers into them. His hands were much bigger than hers and she only realised it then. Still, there was a comfort in them and she brought her hands against her cold cheeks, letting the warmth spread through. She glanced over at him, his face was beginning to turn a shade of pink. She smirked to herself. A small shop with a wooden exterior neared in sight. Temari thought about the hot drinks it would serve, the plush chairs, the light conversation she would have with him where they would lose track of time and realise they've been in the shop for hours. Suddenly, she didn't mind the snow all that much.

**-Gingerbread-**

As she flattened the freshly kneaded dough and brought out the cookie cutters from a drawer, Hinata recalled the first time she had baked something in the spirit of the cold season. A tray of chocolate and caramel turtle brownies. She had worked in the kitchen all day but in the end, the brownies had burnt around the edges. Devastated, she had dumped the whole tray into the trash bin and cried.

Half the cookies were cut in the shape of gingerbread men- Hanabi's favourite. The other half in the shape of hearts. She placed them in the oven, setting the timer, and then watched the snow slowly descend outside from the window in her living room. The whole village was blanketed, the rooftops, the tree branches, the lampposts. Hinata usually preferred spring over winter, with everything in full bloom, as if the earth was coming back to life after a long spell of slumber. She rearranged the cushions on the sofas, brought out her own quilt that she had finished making a week ago, and some floor pillows. The doorbell rang and she gave herself one last look in the mirror, fixing her fringe, before answering it. A tall, tan boy with a blond crew cut stood in the doorway, huddled in a black coat and a red scarf wrapped around his neck, covering his mouth and nose. There was snow dust on his shoulders but his eyes still twinkled with their usual warmth.

"Hey Hinata!" he greeted. "I brought you ramen!" he handed her the two cups as she ushered him in.

Once the gingerbread cookies were baked to perfection, she decorated them with pink and blue frosting and, upon his request, used orange frosting on a gingerbread man that he insisted on having. They sat down on the floor with two steaming cups of hot chocolate. Naruto bit off the head of the gingerbread man.

"These are so good", he said in a daze, looking up at nothing in particular. She smiled in gratification. "When we get married, will you make these for me at least once a week?"

Hinata choked on the hot liquid she was sipping.

**-Scarf-**

At the general store, Sakura was having a hard time deciding on which spool of yarn to buy. The choice had to be either crimson or indigo.

"Since when did you take up knitting?" came Ino's voice from across the aisle as she strutted in her heels to where Sakura was standing.

"What are you doing here?" asked the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Shopping for night cream of course", she said with a flip of her platinum blonde bangs. "So, since when have you kept this hobby of yours from me?" Sakura's eyebrows furrowed, her mouth forming a downward curve.

"Well it's not like it concerns you in any way. But if you must know, I'm going to knit a scarf for Sasuke as a gift for when he returns to Konoha." She finally decided on the indigo one and placed it in the basket she was carrying. Ino let out a hearty laugh.

"Do you even know how to knit?' she said between her chuckles.

"Of course I do!" retorted Sakura with a stomp of her foot, turning to face her friend. "I've been taking lessons from Hinata!"

"Is that so? Well why don't we all just start knitting scarves for our beloved boyfriends?"

"Shut up Ino-pig", Sakura muttered.

After buying their own necessities, the two stepped out of the store and were at once sprinkled with falling snow.

"We've been exchanging letters you know", Sakura said in a low voice. "He doesn't reply to all of them but he keeps me informed, tells me everything that he's doing." She stretched her arms, loosening her muscles that the cold had made stiff.

"It's nice to see you two patching things up rather well", Ino commented, looking up at the pale blue sky dotted with white clouds. "You're brave Sakura. You stuck to it all till the end and didn't give up". The pink-haired looked at her friend in surprise.

"Neither did you", she breathed. "You just chose a different path. I mean, to get a guy like Sai with the emotional capacity of a grain of sand to fall madly in love with you is no small feat."

"I know!" Ino said, giddy. They passed a group of children playing in the snow, and a young couple walking hand in hand.

"Good luck with the scarf. You'll need it", Ino added causing Sakura to roll her eyes at her.

"By the way, what do you have planned for the snow day?"

"Oh you know, just a lot of 'snuggling'", Ino wiggled her eyebrows teasingly at her friend. The latter then shoved her playfully by the shoulder.


	22. Chasing Paper Planes (NH)

**A.N: A Naruhina drabble inspired by a scene from The Wind Rises. God bless Ghibli movies!**

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**Chasing Paper planes**

Naruto exhaled a long doleful sigh, lying on his back on the polished wooden floor, and stared up at the ceiling. The room was relatively quiet, except for the thumping and shuffling of feet from the floor above. After months of trying to convince his parents to plan a vacation for the summer, they had to bring him here, in a humdrum hotel surrounded by hills and trees, in the middle of nowhere. Not only that, but because they had decided on partaking in many family bonding activities, to make the most of their vacation, they had stripped him off his technological privileges. He missed smashing zombies on his laptop and listening to loud punk rock that reverberated in his room. A light breeze blew through the open window, ruffling his hair. What a boring place to be in. Since his arrival, he had come across grown-ups playing golf, grown-ups playing chess, grown-ups talking and laughing, drinking wine. Grown-ups in suits and grown-ups with babies. There were grown-ups everywhere and that's what he despised most about the place. They looked at him as if it wasn't a place to be at for children, but he wasn't a child. He was fifteen, with a streak of mischief running through his core. In the first few days, he tried to pull pranks on some old men in dapper suits with gelled hair, until his parents caught him. He sighed again. There was nobody to go on an adventure with. And his parents were much too busy playing rounds of tennis out in the sun with the other guests. So much for family time.

He got up from his spot on the floor and walked out into the balcony, watching the birds fly by against the blue backdrop. On the tea table, there was a bundle of white paper sheets, a pen and a pair of scissors. He took one sheet and started folding it this way and that until the finished product looked like a decent paper plane, something to pass the time with. Once he was done, he leaned over the wooden railing and thrust the plane into the air, letting the wind carry it. Unfortunately, it spiralled right into the balcony of the room across his. Embarrassed, Naruto's first plan of action was to make a quick run for it, but was stopped when the netted door slid open and a young girl stepped outside, walking towards the unexpected object. Her lavender sundress billowed in the breeze as she picked up the paper plane to examine it. Naruto had seen her once or twice in passing in the hotel lobby, always accompanied by an older man who must have been her father and a younger girl, the sister most probably. She was quite charming, her dark hair hanging loose down her back.

She caught his gaze and Naruto immediately felt a rush of blood to his cheeks. He grinned awkwardly; rubbing the back of his neck. She gave him a small smile and pointed at the paper plane she was now holding.

_Is this yours? _

Naruto nodded and the girl thrust the plane into the air again, as he scampered about the balcony trying to catch it but once he did, it crushed in his hand. Before feeling disappointed, he quickly worked on making another one and gestured with his finger to the girl.

_Wait. _

The second seemed more flexible and ready to fly all the way to the top of the hill behind the hotel. His body dangled across the railing as he threw the plane in the air. It loop de looped and spun around until the girl caught it, with great zeal. She sent it flying back to him, and he was about to give another go, when her father appeared at the balcony's entrance ushering her to get inside. She turned back to Naruto and after a pause, shrugged her shoulders.

_I must go now._

She gave him a small wave before disappearing into the room. Panting, Naruto plopped down on one of the chairs, twirling the paper plane in his hand. At least now, he had something to do for the rest of his stay.


	23. Dawning (ST)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

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**Dawning**

There were times when Shikamaru wondered why his brain often failed him when he wanted it to function, to get around the problem, to find a solution, the most. Such as right now for instance, when his arm was stretched out in the air, not grasping at anything in particular but just frozen, because there was somehow a missing link in his mind as to what should be done next. She was still very much running, he was still very much running, and all his brain was processing was the physical activity, how to keep his pulse leveled, but not how to stop her. And then something metaphorically snapped in him and his vision unclouded and he became aware of his panting, the exertion by his calf muscles, and his arm still in mid-air.

He grabbed her shoulder, causing her to halt.

His chest tightened, sweat trickled down his forehead and he was disappointed with his own intellect. Frustrated that his IQ somehow always let him down where it was beginning to matter the most. She turned around, panting as well, their breathing struggling to fall in sync with each other's again. Her cheeks were flushed and he couldn't tell if it was from the running, the rage, that she wasn't feeling well. Or perhaps, something else entirely.

He straightened up, his shirt collar clinging a little too firmly to his neck.

"I need you for this", he said between shallow breaths, trying to keep himself afloat amidst all the thoughts that were pouring in through a crack with full force. They stood there, trying to get their breathing back to its regular pace, trying to register what the other was possibly thinking. And that's how they had always been, even before the intertwining of their fingers and the stolen glances had officially begun to mean something. Shinobi were skillful at running. It was as natural as blinking. But perhaps this was a whole different scenario, an entirely different reason behind their flushed cheeks and his quickened pulse and the constant tightening within him. She was looking at him now with a slight tilt of her head, the words he had uttered beginning to sink in.

The skin of his palm tingled. Even after a whole year, he hadn't familiarised himself with contact. Baby steps, he would reassure himself time and again.

And then it happened.

The red in her cheeks faded to a pale pink hue, her eyebrows uncreased and relaxed. Her expression shifted into a look of maturity, one he had never witnessed before because it was so different from the usual kind she had. She understood what he was merely thinking inside his head, she was much smarter than him when it came to lights from the lanterns reflected on her face. She looked calmer again, a certain glint in her blue-green eyes. Shikamaru felt his chest loosen. All he did was look at her and think: there are times when you are on the verge of losing something and it makes you realise a multitude of things. In his case, he felt what it would be like to have her almost slip away. And how he never wanted to go through that again.


	24. It's Not Him, It's You (SI)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**o**

**o**

**o**

**Prompt: "****Someone gave me a fake phone number and it's actually yours."**

**xxxxxxxx**

**It's Not Him, It's You**

**o**

**o**

**o**

It was a rather sluggish day at the Yamanaka Florists, which wasn't a surprise since most people didn't prefer buying flowers in the middle of winter; also that business had been quite profitless since a few weeks. Ino Yamanaka sat behind the counter drying her nails painted cherry red while flipping through a celebrity magazine with her free hand. Since morning, there had only been one customer, and now the part-owner of the shop was irked about having to wake up at 8 a.m. to open up the shop, as if anyone would ever be bothered to buy flowers on their way back from their morning jog. But business starting in the early hours of the day with the sun rising was a mantra of Konoha. A mantra that flowed through every citizen's veins. The glossy pictures of the latest red carpet fashion weren't helping in brightening her mood. Alone on a Saturday in the company of flowers in chillers, Ino wondered why she was having such bad luck lately. No date in six months, nowhere to go in the new outfits she had bought a week ago, all her girlfriends too busy to make plans. She flipped another page of the magazine that gave the view of a pop star's new beach house big enough for fifty people to live in. She sighed, blowing her bubble gum and then popping it. She missed basking in the sun's rays, hitting the beach clad in her favourite bikini, feeling the waves crash between her toes. She tore out of her reverie when her pants buzzed and she dug a hand in the pocket to take out her cell phone. It was a text from Sakura, complaining about one of the patients she had to look after that day. Ino rolled her eyes. At least Sakura had something to keep her busy. As she started tapping her reply, the doorbell chimed and Ino flicked her eyes to a young man walking in.

He strolled around the shop leisurely, smartly dressed in a black shirt, a blazer and khaki pants Ino had a weakness for smartly dressed boys. Not wanting to look obvious that she was admiring him, she turned her attention back to the magazine, looking up now and again, observing him. His fiery red hair blended with the orange and yellow tulips he was examining so fervently. Ino could feel the blush rising to her cheeks and stretched the sleeves of her sweater to cover her palms. She was uncharacteristically nervous. Not having a date for a relatively long period of time can do that to one. She chewed on the end of her pencil, pretended to write down something, until she saw the young man approaching the counter with a prepared bouquet of lilacs and white roses. Almost as a reflex, Ino ran her fingers through her bangs letting them fall over her left eye, and put on one of her brightest smiles. His eyes were a pale blue, she noticed as he stood in front of her, her insides jittering. Oh how she loved that colour!

"Hi", the young man greeted in a smoky voice and a sideways smile. "You have a very gorgeous array of flowers here." His accent was distinct from that of the locals, but Ino found it rather endearing. It was the kind of voice that could make the reading of a phone directory sound interesting. "I'd like to buy this. How much is it for?"

"1250 yen," Ino chirped and panicked over if she sounded a little too enthusiastic. The boy placed the bouquet on the counter, and fished out some crisp bills from his wallet. The florist fumbled with the wrapping of the item, flattening the creases, and then a thought struck her- who was the bouquet for? If it was for a girlfriend, then that would only add to her bad luck, and she would go all the way back to square one this morning- potentially dateless.

"Would you like to insert a card?" she asked in an attempt to pry for more information.

"Ah yes that would be great!" the boy said with a grin. "Can you make it out to Hikari with a get-well-soon note?" Ino's customary smile wavered, although he didn't seem to have noticed. Hikari… Definitely a girlfriend worthy name, she mused. It was time for a direct approach.

"Girlfriend?" she asked in an all too casual tone, writing the note on a plain blue card in bold lettering.

"No, my cousin", he replied, not even the slightest bit perturbed by her forward nature. At his response, Ino did a mini cheer in her head before placing the card in between the flowers.

"Thanks." He picked up the bouquet, but Ino wasn't planning on letting him leave the shop that quickly.

"So are you new in town?"

"How'd you guess?" he was startled but also seemed amused. "Yeah I just moved here from Ame a month ago." Ino liked the way his eyes sparkled with every word he spoke, and how they crinkled when he smiled.

"Well you'll definitely love Konoha. The people are very hospitable."

"It's a friendly town."

Time to bring in the bait.

"And if you ever need a tour guide, I'd be more than happy to show you around," she finished.

"That's a great idea!"

And after an exchange of numbers on pieces of yellow paper torn from her notepad and warm goodbyes, Ino mentally patted herself on the back. She wasn't so out of touch with her flirting style as she had expected.

* * *

After a less-than-tedious day of simply taking down bouquet and basket arrangement orders over the phone, Ino plopped down on her bed with a bowl of grapes, her cell phone and the yellow slip of paper with her future date's number scrawled on it. Popping a grape in her mouth, she pondered over the choice of calling him then or later, weighing in the pros and cons and what his reaction would be.

Would he think she was clingy or desperate to call so early?

Or would she come off as not interested if she waited till the next day to call him?

After much contemplation, and some online shopping to help with her thinking process, Ino flattened out the piece of paper and dialled the number. Six months was a very long time. After three rings, a voice answered. Though it did belong to a male, it did not sound anything close to the flower shop boy.

"Hello?" she spoke hesitantly.

"Yes?" the monotonous voice responded.

"Is this Taru?"

"Who?" Now she was almost certain something wasn't right.

"Ta-ru?" she enunciated.

"I'm sorry, you've got the wrong number", the voice said flatly. At that moment, Ino Yamanaka felt many things- hurt, betrayal, _humiliation. _But pushing those feelings aside, which was not a very easy thing to do for most people, she covered the microphone and muttered a string of curses directed at the image of the pretty boy in her head. Once she had cooled off, taking deep breaths, she placed the phone back near her ear.

"So you don't know a Taru?"

"No I do not."

"Don't know anyone with fiery red hair and blue eyes?"

"I have friends with blue eyes but none with fiery red hair", he said after a pause.

"I'm sorry for troubling you", Ino said coolly while fisting her bed sheet into a bunch.

"It's alright", replied the boy on the other end, but to her surprise, did not hang up immediately. She took this as an opportunity to vent, to let it flow out of her every pore, frustrated and bored with her current life. He wasn't Taru, but she was going to make him listen to her.

"It's just, there was this really cool guy that came to my flower shop this morning and he had the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen. And you know, I haven't been on a date in six months so I was really off my game, but once we started talking, I could feel the sparks between us! The chemistry! And we talked for at least a good fifteen minutes and he told me he was new here and-"

"Is this story going anywhere?" the boy interrupted.

Ino crinkled her nose at the phone and continued: "As a matter of fact it is. We exchanged numbers and so I called but it turns out, it's actually yours."

"I see", he paused and then said: "So did you want to sleep with this guy?"

"No I did not!" she exclaimed, appalled at such a suggestion, even though it wasn't unlikely, so to say. "I just wanted to go on a normal date, like at the movies or to the bar maybe for a drink or two… or three."

"So what will you do now?"

"Well I'm talking to you", she said, leaning back against the head rest. Ino grabbed a pillow and started playing with the pink tussles at the corners. "So what's your name?"

"Sai."

"That's an unusual name. I'm Ino", she chirped.

"As in the boar?" he sounded rather entertained at this point.

"Yes yes, that's what everyone associates my name with. But I'll have you know that boars are magnificent creatures and are very strong and resilient." Despite the absurd comments, Ino herself was beginning to enjoy the conversation. She had a penchant for unravelling mysteries when it came to people, spooling out their personalities, getting to know their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. "So do you go to university?"

"I attend Konoha Art College." Ino bolted up, almost toppling the bowl in her lap.

"No way! I go there too! What are you studying?"

"Painting and Design", he said with a mouthful of something.

"Oh yeah I think I've seen you around maybe. So you paint?"

"Yes I do, naturally. When I'm not reading."

"What books do you read?" she lay down flat on her belly swinging her legs up.

"Books on social skills."

"Awwn so you're an introvert? That's so cute!"

"I've been punched in the face twice. My friends tell me I say inappropriate things most of the time, but I'm just speaking my mind."

"But if you really wanna get better at being social, you're gonna have to have more experience. Go to parties! Go on dates! Go to a bar, drink booze till you puke, prank call someone, and just start talking really."

"That will work?" the boy at the end of the line sounded rather intrigued.

"I mean, we're talking on the phone, having a _semi_-normal conversation. Things like this will help you."

There was a long pause in which only the static on the line and the steady breathing of the speakers could be heard.

"So… would you teach me sometime?" he inquired. Ino almost choked on the grape she was chewing. She wasn't expecting this, she wasn't expecting to call an almost stranger and talk to him for so long without any caution. He couldn't even see her, which she was glad about since she was in her pajamas. But she did think for a fraction of a second that maybe this was a sign, the number being his and her ending up talking to him instead of the guy she had been swooning over the thought of for the past seven hours. She swallowed the grape and spoke.

"Yeah… sure. That would be nice", she replied, a smile slowly forming on her lips. She looked forward to it already.


	25. Stay the Night (NT)

**_A._N: For a while I will be updating this fic with one-shots based on AUs I found on tumblr, so these are the requests I received of the au and pairing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**Prompt: _"I got up at 2 am to get some snacks at the convenience store down the street and opened my door to find you trying to sleep on the floor of the hallway because your roommate has his fiancée over so i guess I'll lend you my couch for the night AU"_**

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Stay the Night**

_**o**_  
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There were many things people did not know about Neji Hyuga. For example, he wasn't a very good cook; he hated classical music, contrary to the popular belief of his friends; he enjoyed watching reality shows where people made a fool of themselves on live television; and he was a late sleeper, staying up till the starting hours of the morning to watch detective shows or read a book. That night was no exception, as he closed the collection of essays he had recently purchased at a vintage book store, and gave the wall clock a gander. It was 2 o' clock in the morning, his rented apartment in peace and quiet. He would have to thank Lee for being away to visit his parents in Osaka for that. At least he could get a week of tranquillity without having to be interrupted in the middle of his work with spontaneous chants of YOUTH and GLORY coming from the other room. He took off his reading glasses and set them on top of the book at his bedside table. Instantaneously, Neji felt an unpleasant rumbling in his stomach.

He sighed in vexation at his choice of skipping dinner to finish the book. He had been reading without a break since his bus ride home from evening classes. The political science student stood up from his bed and made his way to the kitchen to search for something to eat. Unfortunately, the cabinets contained only empty boxes of raisin bran and protein bars, and the fridge was stocked with nothing but eggs, bread, and milk. He frowned at the scarcity of ready-made food, not wanting to cook anything himself at this late hour. He dragged his feet to the front door, grabbing his coat and apartment keys, and walked out. When he stepped in the corridor, he noticed two things; firstly, only a single light bulb was kept switched on for the night, but it was of barely any use as it was blinking. Second, he could hear the sound of someone snoring loud and clear.

Neji scanned the premises to locate the source, squinting his eyes under the dim light for focus. He was always puzzled by how the rent of such a run-down building could be so high. His gaze fell on a figure wrapped in a blanket, slumped on the floor at the end of the corridor. As he neared the figure, his forehead creased in recognition. After all, the dark chocolate brown hair in two pigtail braids weren't hard to miss, especially if you have caught yourself staring at them at times. Neji shuffled his feet closer to the girl with her back pressed against the door frame, head tilted, eyes closed, loud breathing and snorting sounds issuing from her mouth. Perhaps she locked herself out, he wondered. He couldn't possibly just leave her there and head down to the convenient store to buy food.

"Tenten?" he whispered, crouching down. There was no response.

"Tenten?" he repeated, a little louder this time, causing the girl to twist and turn over to the other side, away from him.

"Tenten!" he shouted. In an instant, things became a blur as the girl kicked him in the groin, and before Neji could even figure out where the leg had shot out from, he dropped to the floor in excruciating pain.

"Neji?" the girl shot up, the blanket falling off of her shoulders revealing the bunny pajamas she was wearing. "What are you doing?" But the boy was still writhing in pain, clutching at his pants. "I'm so sorry", Tenten finally got up from her spot on the floor and bent over him. "I thought you were a molester."

"How- can a molester- enter the building?" he heaved, getting up slowly. Tenten held him by the elbow till he was standing up again, though still in agony.

"Well, you should know better not to sneak up on a girl like that when she's sleeping", she spat, placing her hands on her hips. After many deep breaths until his legs stopped quivering and the pain between his thighs gradually receded, Neji turned to her as she was readjusting her blanket and pillow on the floor.

"What were you doing sleeping in the corridor anyway?" he asked. As if on cue, shouting was heard from behind the door. Tenten let out a sigh and shook her head.

"My roommate has her fiancé over", she said. "They have a habit of getting into an argument every time they play shogi or video games, which they do until six o'clock in the morning. And since I felt bad about having to let him sleep on the couch, I thought I would sleep there instead. But I couldn't because of all the ruckus they were making. So now I'm here", she shrugged and then knitted her eyebrows together. "Until someone woke me up."

"Sorry about that", Neji responded, raising his hands defensively.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I will get back to sleeping", and just like that, she plopped down on the floor, fluffing up her pillow and then pulling the blanket over herself. Neji shrugged his shoulders turned around, walking towards the elevator, but then stopped and mentally kicked himself. _Where are my manners? _He shuffled his feet back to where Tenten lay curled up in ball form and opened his mouth, but the words were lost somewhere in his throat. Tenten was sound asleep, which he found to be quite an incredible ability since it had barely been twelve seconds since he left her there. Ignoring the squirming, flittering feeling in his chest, he said in a low voice: "Hey Tenten. I have a spare bed at my apartment since Lee's not home. You can spend the night there." Just the suggestion was causing him to turn red in the face, and he prayed to the heavens that she wouldn't kick him again or be uncomfortable and fussy about it. Tenten opened her eyes slowly and turned to look up at him.

* * *

The first thing that came to mind when she entered Neji's apartment, carrying her blanket and pillow in a bundle in her arms, was that she was in a boy's apartment for the first time in her life, alone, but somehow feeling safe. She trusted Neji. They had been living in the same building for years, and also attended the same university. He was very different from most boys. The other thought was, because of the little furniture present, it seemed much larger and tidier than hers- wooden floor scrubbed till the very last stain was invisible, a bookshelf stacked neatly with titles, no clothes strewn over the couch, the cushions aligned, the magazines stacked in an organized pile on the coffee table. Nothing seemed out of place, not even a speck of dust. She hesitated, lingering at the door, until Neji gestured her to follow him to one of the rooms.

If she thought nothing was out of place before, she definitely changed her mind upon entering Lee's room. Tights and track suits scattered everywhere- on the floor, on the chair, on the computer monitor. Posters of Bruce Lee and pictures of empowering quotes were plastered on the walls.

"Lee's gone home to visit his parents for the week", informed Neji, picking up some of the clothes from the floor and dumping them in the wardrobe. He then proceeded to straighten the bed. "Sorry about the mess. He doesn't have a habit of cleaning his room from time to time. Do you want me to change the sheets of the bed?"

"No it's fine", she said with a smile. Tenten had never imagined him to be this hospitable. He always seemed rather stoic and unapproachable.

"The bathroom is right down the hall in case you want to go. If you need anything, I'll be right next door."

"Thank you so much. You're such a good person, Hyuga", Tenten beamed at him, crinkling her eyes and nose.

"You're not going to be bothered by all the posters and the mess, are you? Because if you will be, you can always sleep in my room and I'll sleep here", he stammered with a slight urgency. The brunette shook her head and smiled.

"It's all right. Thank you." After Neji left the room, Tenten threw her pillow down and adjusted her blanket. She was grateful that Lee's bed didn't smell, what with always spotting him exercising and jogging up and down the floors. As she lay down, bringing the blanket up to her chin, a sudden gush of warmth came over her. The homely feeling of the bedroom, Neji's concern, not having to spend the night on the floor; she was more than grateful.

"Goodnight Neji", she said aloud, hoping her voice would carry over to the next room since the fans were off. She slumped back on the pillow after not receiving a response and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Tenten", he finally spoke.

Tenten hadn't slept so well in years.

* * *

The next morning, Neji awoke to the smell of something cooking wafting in the air, making him salivate. The whole issue with Tenten the other night had completely made him forget about getting something to eat. His stomach felt as if it had caved in overnight. He got up from the bed, slipped on a pair of sweat pants and a T- shirt, tied his hair up in what he called a 'man bun', even though most of his hair was simply sticking out and walked into the kitchen. To his bewilderment, Tenten hadn't left and was in front of the stove, the sizzling and crackling sounds emanating from the frying pan.

"Uh, what's going on?" asked a puzzled Neji.

"Good morning there, neighbour", greeted Tenten, scooping up eggs from the frying pan and setting them on a plate. Four slices of bread popped from the toaster. "I just wanted to say thanks for letting me stay the night, so I decided to make some breakfast."

Neji cautiously stepped over to the table and examined the eggs- they looked perfect, with the black pepper sprinkled on top in just the right amount. There were even slices of tomato on the side.

"I didn't know you could cook", he smirked.

"Actually, I only know how to make breakfast food", she replied, waving the spatula about. "It comes in handy when you want to make pancakes for dinner." After washing her hands, Tenten gathered her folded blanket and pillow from the couch and headed for the door.

"You're not going to have any yourself?" asked Neji.

"Nah. I have to kick Shikamaru out of my apartment fast. Thanks again!" and with that she walked out, closing the door behind her and leaving Neji alone in his now quiet apartment.

"Thanks to you too", he mumbled and then sat down at the table to start eating, splitting the eggs in half and forking a bit in his mouth.

"Amazing", he exclaimed, his taste buds tingling with flavour. He cleaned up the plate in less than 10 minutes. If it was possible, he was even more impressed with her.


	26. Blooming In the Summer (NH)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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**Blooming In the Summer**

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**Prompt:** "_**This really cute guy rented the apartment over the bakery/flower shop/store i work at and i keep trying to find excuses to be outside when he comes home."**_

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Hinata didn't pay attention to the moving truck that swerved right outside the flower shop. She was preoccupied with trimming the leaves and tying a silver ribbon around a bouquet of white and pink tulips she had just prepared. Proud of her latest creation, she placed it in a vase next to a rack of cards and took a step back, admiring it. By that time, two men had come out of the truck and were unloading boxes and furniture items from the back- a couch, a tall lamp, a desk. Hinata had heard the news of one of the apartments being rented out, but this sort of news never piqued her interest. However, she did listen intently to all the stories her customers and people from the building told her, sometimes even over a cup of tea and jam-filled cookies. She enjoyed her time in the flower shop because of them, but her only business with the building was that she had been working in it for the past 3 years as a florist. Her apartment was a ten minutes bike ride from there. She ran a hand through her bob-cut and stepped out of the shop in her mint green apron, greeted by a blast of oven-like heat, to gather some periwinkles and lilacs for her next order, a get-well-soon bouquet. That's when she noticed a third person hurriedly coming out of the truck to stop one of the beefy men from carrying a large cardboard box in the haphazard way he was.

"That has my collectibles in it!" he exclaimed, taking the box from the man's arms with a scrunched up face, preferring to carry it up himself. "There are rare samurai figurines in this. They cost me a fortune." He was tall, with tanned skin and short blond hair, dressed in an orange t-shirt and black shorts. There was something about him that created a flittering feeling in Hinata's stomach, and she didn't realise she had been standing in one spot with only the lilacs in her hand, watching the scene. The boy flicked his gaze over at her and the girl quickly turned away, gathering up the other flowers she needed for the bouquet, and rushed inside the shop.

_**oooo**_

Hinata parked her bike on the side of the double door entrance and grabbed her bag, the keys to the shop jangling in her hand. Just then, the unnamed boy hopped out of the iron-grill gate beside the shop that led to the apartments upstairs, startling her. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and checked his wristwatch. Looking about the street, his eyes fell on her petite figure. Suddenly, Hinata felt as if she had no idea what to do with her hands anymore, the keys now digging into her palm. The early morning breeze blew past them, ruffling their hair. The boy looked back at the sleepy morning road, but gave Hinata a sideways glance and grinned- which was even brighter than the sun rising in that instant- before jogging the other way. Something swelled in Hinata's chest, a blossoming within. It was only after he was out of sight did she regain her composure, and realise she had been holding her breath the entire time. She fumbled with the keys and door lock for a while until finally opening it, and shuffled inside.

She felt safe again, in the company of the flowers and bouquets she had prepared with her own two hands, the same hands that for a moment had forgotten how to do what they were supposed to do when he was around. She couldn't understand why her cheeks suddenly felt hot. She blamed the July weather, the sweltering heat that had seeped into the buildings of the town. But at least now, she was inside the shop again, in her safe haven, where she couldn't freeze up or mess things up or embarrass herself. Her heartbeat finally slowed to a normal pace. She felt safe among the flowers. As she started on her first bouquet order of the day, she couldn't help but smile to herself from time to time.

_**oooo**_

Hinata knew she shouldn't be, but she was anticipating it, glancing out of the glass doors in between greeting customers, placing money in the cash register, and answering phone calls. She had the pattern memorised- his daily routine, even though it had only been a week since he had moved into the apartment, but it didn't take long for her to start daydreaming about him or doodling his name in her notepad. Every day, around evening time, he would come back to the building from the grocery store with cups of Instant Ramen. And so, around 7 o'clock that day, Hinata fixed her hair and left the counter in charge of Hori, to tend to the flowers outside; fixing their arrangement, spritzing water on the petals.

She was going to talk to him. At least ask him his name.

The sky was turning into a deeper shade of blue as the street lights switched on, one after the other. Hinata kept glancing at the end of the street, hoping he would turn up. And after about ten minutes, his figure appeared under the lights, wearing headphones, carrying a bulky grocery bag in one hand and swinging a smaller one in the other.

This was her chance. She was no longer going to merely observe him from behind the glass doors of the shop.

As he neared the building, Hinata turned her attention to the flowers again, smoothing the petals of the sunflowers and making room for them. She particularly loved the sunflowers and always gave them extra care. The boy arrived at the iron-grill gate, whistling, and inserted the key. He stopped once he noticed Hinata standing under the awning of the shop. She took quick breaths, the grip on the spray bottle in her hand growing tighter with each.

"Hey", he said with a smile. She opened her mouth to say something back, anything, only to feel as if a tennis ball was caught in her throat and the words were lost somewhere. The boy looked at her expectantly, but Hinata just couldn't do it. She didn't have the confidence to look into those cerulean eyes and greet him back. She felt terribly small. Giving him a small bow, which was all she could really manage, she rushed back inside the shop, hopeless and defeated.

_**oooo**_

It went on like this for many days as she crossed out the days on the calendar every time she tried to talk to him and froze up. Seventeen crosses for seventeen missed opportunities. Every day she would go outside just when the sky was turning a shade darker, either for sweeping the pavement or fixing the flowers or the sign, or anything that would give her a chance to see him when he would be coming home. But that's as far as it went. A few times however, she was able to nod at him and smile back. Even he was beginning to set it into his routine of greeting her every time they chanced to meet. But Hinata's chest would just get tighter, her breathing more quickened, and the words would form a lump in her throat.

It was a Friday afternoon, when Hinata was stocking new flowers into the chillers- peonies, more tulips, orchids. Customers bustled about the shop, admiring the new collection. As she stepped down from the wooden stool, the door opened and in walked the boy in a grey hoodie and faded jeans. He looked around the shop until his gaze met her surprised one and grinned.

"Hi there", he greeted as usual, only now he was inside the shop, in front of her, towering over her, in Hinata's safe haven, and now she didn't know where to move to. "Funny thing", he continued, abashedly rubbing the back of his neck. "I got locked out of my apartment. I think I left the keys inside. I've phoned the RA but he's at the dentist, so it will take him time to get here and open it for me. And the guard's not available either. Do you mind if I stay here for the time being?" It took a while for Hinata to register his words, until an alarm bell started ringing in her head. Spend time? In the flower shop? She was aware of what the consequences would be if he would stick around while she worked. But a part of her, after all this time of hiding in the shadows, was willing to take the risk.

"N-not at all", she finally choked out. The boy's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Thanks!" He dug his hands in his pant pockets and began surveying the location. "This is a really cosy flower shop", he remarked, admiring the decorations and the colours. Hinata twiddled her fingers, watching him as he looked about.

"Would you like some tea?" she spoke, a little too loudly, for some heads turned in her direction. Naruto stopped in between examining a wild plant hanging from the ceiling in a clay pot, and turned to her.

"Yeah sure", he said with a smile. Hinata quickly retreated to the back of the shop where a flask was kept containing hot tea. _Okay Hinata, get a hold of yourself_, she mentally chided, gripping the edges of the wooden table top. She brought out two yellow tea cups and saucers from the cabinets. She poured the tea in the cups with trembling hands, and added a dash of cream milk, stirring the contents.

_What am I supposed to talk to him about?_

_I can't say a word without looking ridiculous…_

She wiped the sweat on her forehead, pushing her fringe aside, and took a deep breath. _I can do this. _As she stretched her arm up to reach for the jar with date cookies, a tall hand pulled it down from the shelf and handed it to her. Hinata turned her head to see Naruto standing right next to her in the cramped back room, and now it seemed all the more cramped.

"I thought you could use some help", he said before pulling himself up to sit on the table top. Hinata realised she had been staring at him in awe for far too long and got back to preparing the tea.

"Do you take sugar with your tea?" she asked in a low voice.

"Yeah two spoons, please", he said, swinging his legs, even though they reached the floor. Hinata opened the lid of the sugar box and put two spoonfuls in each cup.

"So, how long have you been working here?" Naruto asked. The florist took out the date cookies from the jar and placed them on a spare saucer.

"About three years." Her breathing was slowly returning to normal and she could feel her chest ease up. She placed the prepared tea cups and the cookies on a tray to take them to the front, but Naruto offered to take them instead. He set them down on the counter and grabbed a stool.

"Sorry about bothering you in the middle of work", he said rubbing his shoulder, and then took a bite out of a date cookie. "This is really good! Did you make this?" Hinata gave him a nod and smiled.

"I make different kinds every week for the customers", she said twirling the string of her apron. "And it's no trouble. I- I'm happy you decided to stay here…." She resorted to dunking a cookie in her tea as her brain cells rattled for what to say next.

"I'm Naruto", the boy stretched his hand out towards her. Hinata hesitated for a moment, feeling a swarm of butterflies floating around in her stomach, and then took it.

"Hinata."

He grinned at her again and she quickly withdrew, running a hand through her hair, then took a sip of the tea.

"Hey you know, maybe next time I get locked out of my apartment, I'll just keep you company", he claimed, taking another cookie and surveying the shop. She watched him over her cup, relishing the moment they were sharing. It was nice, she thought. Very nice indeed.


	27. Of Flying Footballs and Sunshine

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Naruto**

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**Of Flying Footballs and Sunshine**

**.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.**

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**Prompt:** "_**I was trying to read in the park and your stray football fucking knocked me unconscious."**_

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When Shikamaru slowly opened his eyes, lashes fluttering, the first thing he registered was the glaring summer sky that almost made it hard for him to open them completely. And that he wasn't dead. The second thing he registered was the pain in the side of his head equivalent of a thousand needles being stabbed into it, poking through his skull. The third thing, he was lying on the gravel path of the park. Fourth, he couldn't remember what had happened before he had hit the ground or even how he had hit it.

Fifth, there was a girl, with blonde hair tied in pigtails, hunched over him. Shikamaru didn't realise he was gaping at her, wide-eyed, trying to make sense of his surroundings, until her voice rang through his ears.

"Are you okay?" she queried in a tone of concern, although the cocked eyebrow and the slight upturn of her mouth indicated anything but. Shikamaru groaned, feeling the side of his head. Thankfully, there was no swelling. Not yet anyway. He then recalled being knocked to the ground before he had had any time to react by a flying object, his brain almost rattling inside. "Can you hear me?" the girl spoke again, this time a little louder. Behind her, Shikamaru could see the puffy white clouds float by.

_I was looking at the clouds again._

Digging his palms into the gravel and bending his legs up, Shikamaru raised himself to torso level, disoriented and shaky. He adjusted himself to his raised position by staring at the ground and blinking fast to make the stars and irregular patterns in his vision disappear. Across from him, a hardcover book was lying upside down, split-opened from the middle.

_I was reading that book, _he vaguely remembered.

The girl took a step back from where he sat, but didn't leave. The pain didn't reside immediately but Shikamaru couldn't just stay on the ground forever and have the girl silently patronise him. He tucked his legs under his thighs and pushed himself off the ground. He rocked back and forth, wobbling, clutching at his head. He staggered towards the bench and plopped down, feeling nauseous and tipsy. The girl walked over and sat beside him.

"What just happened?" he mumbled, shaking his head to focus and get his thoughts straight. It only made him feel dizzier. The girl let out a nervous laugh, rubbing her forearm.

"Yeah, um, sorry about hitting you with the ball. I guess I need to work on my aim before the big game."

Things became clearer to Shikamaru in that instant.

_I was hit on the head with a ball._

Upon the bitter realisation, he looked accusingly at the girl before clutching the side of his head again and groaning.

"I said I was sorry!" She frowned at him, crossing her arms. "Besides, it shouldn't have given you a concussion."

"My brain practically jiggled inside my skull", he retaliated. He felt a burning and bubbling sensation in the back of his throat and tried to swallow it down. He bent low to pick up the book and dusted its cover. Examining it, Shikamaru concluded that he didn't blame the girl entirely for the incident, even if she _did _hit him with the ball. No. He blamed the scorching summer heat, he blamed his bad luck, he blamed Miss Yugao for assigning his class summer reading, he blamed Ulysses for being the stodgiest book he had ever read, he blamed his habit of being distracted by the clouds too easily. There were many factors to point fingers at other than the girl, but Shikamaru still felt indignant towards her.

He prodded the side of his head and winced. The pain still prevailed.

The girl stood up from the bench and turned to face him.

"Well, I guess I am partly to blame for this", she said, nonchalantly.

"Partly?" Shikamaru muttered. The girl rolled her eyes at him.

"Okay, _mostly. _There's a shack across the street", she pointed through the metal railing that encircled the park, to a small wooden shop with a thatched roof. "We can get some ice for your head from there." Shikamaru wasn't willing to have anything to do with her, not after knowing she was the reason behind his current predicament. All he wanted was to go home, get some rest and avoid his mother nagging him for chores for the rest of the day. But seeing her resolute expression, and the pounding headache constantly reminding him he ought to do something about it quickly, he grabbed his backpack and followed her out of the park.

* * *

Despite living in the same town since birth, Shikamaru had never had the opportunity to visit the shack. It wasn't a matter of whether he wanted to or not. But somehow the place never came under his notice. He had passed the street lined with music stores and pet shops many times, but the little wooden shack nestled between two buildings towering over it made it an easy miss. He didn't know what he was expecting when he would enter the shack, but once he did, the sight before him didn't cross his mind.

There were plastic tables lined against either side of the shop. The walls were plastered with mud and straw. There was a front counter where a crowd of people had gathered yelling out their orders for soda, chips and even Band-Aids. What surprised Shikamaru the most was the crowd.

"Mostly the kids from Suna Academy hang out here", the girl, who had introduced herself as Temari- a second year student of the aforementioned school- informed him. Shikamaru looked about, eyeing the customers around his age in torn jeans, band shirts and dyed hair. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable under the scrutinising gazes of the Suna students. They could probably smell out a fish from Konoha within a mile radius. He preferred to look down at his feet instead, not making any sort of eye contact. The sluggish pace of the ceiling fan was not helloing in cooling down the atmosphere. Temari pulled at a corner of her white shirt and wiped the perspiration off her brow. She then pushed through the crowd and to the counter. Shikamaru tugged at the collar of his shirt, flapping to get some air, and made his way to an empty plastic table under a wall fan. He could feel the heat practically seep through the straw-lined walls of the shack. Shikamaru wiped his face on his sleeve and prodded his head again. The pain was slowly receding and he was beginning to feel less nauseous. Perhaps he didn't have to go to the doctor. Temari returned to the table with a packet of ice, two bottles of red soda and a bottle opener. She dragged an unsteady plastic chair back and sat down.

"Here", she said, handing Shikamaru the ice pack, which he gratefully took and dabbed it on the abused side of his head.

"Ow!" he cried out, wincing in pain.

"You idiot, you're not supposed to apply it directly!" Temari scolded. "Give me your shirt." Shikamaru blinked at her for a moment, but then slipped out of the flannel shirt he was wearing over a grey tee and handed it to her. She snuggly wrapped the shirt around the ice pack. Shikamaru extended his hand to take it from her but she slapped it away.

"Hold still", she said, leaning over the table, and gently started patting his temples with the cloth-wrapped pack. Shikamaru didn't wince this time, nor did he flex a muscle. _Dab dab dab. _To think someone who could kick with enough force to knock him out cold could have a much gentler side was beyond Shikamaru's comprehension. And for the first time, he felt ripples in the pit of his stomach as he, unknowingly, stared at her tanned face. Her teal eyes flicked over at him, and Shikamaru quickly turned to staring at a black smudge on the table. Temari handed him the packet and reclined back in her chair.

"Now you know how to do it," she said with a smirk, and Shikamaru took the pack from her hands to dab the area gently like she had, but now he was beginning to focus on the pain again. Temari used the bottle opener to unscrew the caps of the soda bottles and handed one to him. She took a swig out of hers and slammed it down.

"So you're playing against our school, huh?" Shikamaru asked.

"You didn't know about the game?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I've been kind of busy with finishing my summer reading. Also, I don't keep track of the sports events."

"It's next week. We still have a lot of work of to do. Especially me, since I'm the captain." Shikamaru almost choked on the soda he was drinking.

"You're the captain and your aim is that bad?" he said, his mouth twitching upwards.

"Shut up", Temari rolled her eyes at him again. "There's still time. We'll get it done. We've beaten Konoha at hockey. And the debates. I'm sure we can take this on."

"Is it really that easy for those guys", he gestured with his head to the group of boys on the other side of the shack chortling and slapping each other's backs, "to spot a student from Konoha?"

"Pretty much. You guys have a clean aura." Shikamaru didn't quite know what she meant by that, but he definitely did not like the way she had said if. As if Konoha Academy was inferior to Suna. Given their history, the schools were tied when it came to competitions, but Suna ruled in sports and Konoha ruled in academics. That was the only difference, in addition to Suna having a more abrasive student body.

"I think I should head home and take some pain medication", said Shikamaru, standing up from the chair.

"I'll walk with you", added Temari, gulping down the rest of the soda.

"I can manage."

She stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "I can't have you accidentally bump into some poor innocent stranger if you're still feeling woozy." Without leaving any room for him to counter her statement, they walked out of the shack and on to the bustling streets of the town.

* * *

The afternoon sun was beginning to set, the shadows growing longer, birds flying back to their nests, cars beeping past.

"Will you come to the game?" asked Temari, shifting from one foot to the other, as the two stood outside Shikamaru's house.

"Maybe", he replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"If you do, you better cheer for me. I mean, it's almost like I saved your life."

"Right after you knocked me unconscious", Shikamaru emphasised with a movement of his hand.

"Well then I guess I should have just left you lying there, out cold on the ground. Some homeless man would have come and picked you up and carried you to his home of cardboard boxes and scraps of bread." Shikamaru let out a chuckle at her odd remark and Temari laughed along as well. He almost forgot about the pain in his head.

"If I show up, what if you hit me on the head again?" he asked, visibly concerned.

"You can just hide under the bleachers", she said dismissively.

He stood there, waiting, thinking of the next move. Should he go inside the house or say something else? Her staying silent wasn't helping either. And then Temari let out a gasp.

"Oh god. I just remembered I suddenly disappeared in the middle of a game and left my team at the park!" she exclaimed, horror-struck. "I have to get back now. Bye!" She waved at him and started jogging the other way, but then stopped and turned around.

"You can cheer for both the teams. No one will kill you". And then she grinned at him and Shikamaru caught himself staring at the exact spot her mouth had curled upwards, showing her glinting teeth, long after she was out of sight.

There was a jittering feeling inside him again, but this time, Shikamaru knew it wasn't the nausea.


End file.
